


Open Wounds

by Ange_de_Jeudi



Series: Worlds Away [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, The Inheritance Cycle - Christopher Paolini
Genre: Aftermath of Torture, Ancient Language, Dragons, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Meditation, Prank Wars, Prophecy, Secrets, Shapeshifting, Sneaking Around, Torture, Twins
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-07
Updated: 2015-06-09
Packaged: 2018-04-03 06:01:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 25,589
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4089688
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ange_de_Jeudi/pseuds/Ange_de_Jeudi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They had never belonged. They were always different. They received unwanted attention. This is not the feeling of home, so where might home be found? They were meant for more. If only they knew just how much they were meant for.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Story Begins

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! This is the first book of my Worlds Away Series. Let me just explain a few things, this story will be mainly cannon with the story of Harry, Ron and Hermione, but we all already know their tale. This is the other side of the story. This Fic focuses mainly on my two characters Aavyn (pronounced AY-ven) and Alessa (pronounced a-LES-sa) Thelduin and their friends. It focuses on their struggles and some very interesting OC characters that belong in the Eragon World. This story starts as Harry Potter but it is a crossover of HP and Eragon later in the series. Enjoy!

**Key:**

**_Italics-_ ** **mind speak**

**Bold-from the book**

**_~Italics with Symbol~_ ** **\- the twin’s language**

 

Darkness. Darkness and blood. Darkness, blood and platinum hair. Pain, tears, and sorrow could of course be included along with the other things but the first three would be a constant reminder of the hell they lived through. Those three colors: black, red, and white, would forever haunt their dreams and thoughts, even for years to come…

 

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

 

“Its time to go” a grimy and coppery haired girl told the other brunette one “this is our last chance”

 

The brunette nodded and rubbed her scared and bloody wrists after the other woman had unlocked her shackles “do you remember where he kept our wands?” she asked, her voice rough from pain

 

The other nodded and motioned toward the door. The brunette stood up slowly, then looked at her compatriot.

 

“Are you ok?” she asked

 

“I'm a fine as bloody expected given the circumstances” the girl replied harshly “lets go”

 

The two left as silently as possible, their forms barely visible in the weak light of the torches. After a few minutes of slinking through the shadows, the two girls came upon a set of stairs and climbed it, mossy and chipped steps making way for well kept white marble ones. Once the red head had picked the lock on the thick wooden door at the top of said stairs, the women snuck through, closing the door quietly behind them. Both were blinking their eyes once they came in contact with the bright light of day

 

“Three floors up, left hall, five doors down on the right” the red head whispered to her companion

 

She nodded in acknowledgement and the two of them slipped noiselessly down the carpeted halls and up flights of stairs, and past many tapestries and doors, the whole feeling of the mansion being sterile and unwelcoming. They were going as fast as their beat up bodies would permit and after what seemed like hours (but what were actually mere minutes), they came upon the correct room. The rough and unassuming wooden door flew open and both froze where they stood. There was someone in the room with blonde hair. The same color blonde hair. He had his arms wrapped protectively across his sternum and was looking at the wands on the table in confusion. After a few seconds of staring, his back still turned to the newcomers; he touched both wands while murmuring

 

“These were their wands. Father told me that they ran away years ago. Why would their wands still be here?” the boy turned around and came face to face with the two very filthy girls who were shaking, eyes wide and darting from place to place around the room, but never on the boy. He just stood there in shock, mouth agape. There was a very pregnant pause until the brunette coughed out

 

“Draco?”

 

“A-Aavyn? Alessa?” he stuttered, “What are you doing here! You ran away years ago. Father said that you had used us and lied to us; lied to me, then you just took off and never came back and…” by this point he was hyperventilating

 

“Draco” Avery told him, voice hardened and void of any emotion as her eyes darted away from his hair “we have been in your father’s dungeons for three years. We need to get out of here”

 

The women pushed past him and grabbed their wands; running out of the door, silver glinting on their necks as they passed the last torch.

 

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

 

 

**“Must be nearly time,” said Mr. Weasley quickly, pulling out his watch again. “Do you know whether we’re waiting for any more, Amos?”**

**“No, the Lovegoods have been there for a week already and the Fawcetts couldn’t get tickets,” said Mr. Diggory. “There aren’t any more of us in this area, are there?”**

**“Not that I know of,” said Mr. Weasley. “Yes, it’s a minute off... We’d better get ready...”**

“Wait for us!” another group called. There were two women. One had long, curly jet-black tresses and pale green eyes and the other had shorter, straight black hair with dark brown eyes

 

“I didn’t know there were any other witches in the area?” Amos asked, surprised as the girls trudged up the steep hill

 

“There aren’t” the brown eyed one said in a slightly Irish accent “we had to apparate here because there wasn’t a portkey in our area”

 

The others nodded in understanding and the two women came all the way up the hill and shook hands

 

“I'm Morgan Perodrak and this is my sister Freya,” said the green eyed one, a faint hint of amusement glinting in her eyes. 

 

All of them nodded and introduced themselves in turn.

 

“These are my kids, Ron, Ginny, Fred, and George. And I am Arthur Weasley”

 

“Nice to meet you” the women said in unison, then stage whispered to the twins “I hope that you two won’t cause too much trouble for Mr. Weasley”

 

Both looked taken aback slightly, but still managed their trademark smirk

 

“And these are Ron’s friends, Hermione Granger and Harry Potter”

 

The two women didn’t even blink at the Boy-Who-Lived’s name as they shook their hands too. There was a small and awkward pause that the two women didn’t seem to notice when all of a sudden, there was a blue light coming from the shoe that Amos held. The eleven of them quickly jumped into a flurry of movement and grabbed on just in time before they were whisked away. When they got past Basil who took the portkey from them, the small group parted ways, each searching for their campground

 

“They seemed nice, the Weasleys” Freya said

 

Morgan nodded as she walked towards their tent “I wonder what seats they managed to get. Where are we again?”

 

“Top box” her sister reminded her

 

“Right. I’ve missed Quidditch”

 

Both nodded and ducked inside their little tent that was actually bigger on the inside. It had two cots, a kitchen, and illusions on the walls to give the feeling of camping in a secluded forest instead of an open moor. The women sat down on beds and looked at each other for a moment, then took off their robes and turtlenecks, exposing their tank tops underneath. Freya headed towards the wash bin and splashed her face with cold water, something dark glinting on her left forearm.

 

Morgan grimaced at the sight of it and remarked “Ugly as hell if you ask me” she looked at her own, then massaged the bridge of her nose “its been a long last few days” she muttered, silver necklace glinting on her neck

 

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

 

“Fancy seeing you here again” Freya exclaimed as the Weasleys plus two climbed into the top box with them

 

“Small world” Fred said and George opened his mouth, preparing to sing

 

“I swear to Merlin if you so much as hum that song…” Morgan left the threat hanging and she smirked at the two twins who looked a little sheepish

 

“So what team are you going for?” asked Ron

 

“Ireland” they replied in unison

 

Ron nodded and turned back to his friends who were talking to a timid looking house elf. The two women, Fred and George were talking about the joke shop they wanted to start when a familiar voice said

 

**“Good lord, Arthur, what did you have to sell to get seats in the Top Box? Surely your house wouldn’t have fetched this much?”**

 

Both Morgan and Freya stiffened, Morgan blanching, and both reaching for their wands but Lucius didn’t seem to notice them and he continued sneering at the Weasleys. After his introduction, he turned his cold eyes to the black haired companions and scoffed “and who are you?”

 

“Morgan and Freya Perodrak” the green eyed one said, voice colder and more harsh than a winters wind in Antarctica by tenfold “and you are?”

 

Lucius eyes narrowed and he bristled at the thought of someone not knowing him and replied to her in a tight voice “Lucius Malfoy, and this is my son Draco, and my wife Narcissa” he then turned away and started talking to the minister again, his son eying the two women with a hint of recognition.

 

“Dragon” Freya said to him, the boy getting a confirmed look on his face and nodding once

 

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

 

It was about an hour after the match and the two women were sitting back in their tent, throwing knives at a target in front of the stove. They sat there in silence, the only sound being the _whoosh..._ _thunk_ of the sharp projectiles flying through the air and hitting the board.

 

It was a few more minutes until Freya spoke up “he is coming”

 

Morgan nodded and threw her last knife, turning around so she faced the tent flap. It fluttered slightly, then opened as their hooded visitor came in. Freya sealed the tent flap with her wand and the cloaked wizard took off his hood

 

“He knows you’re here”

 

Morgan flicked her wand in a defeated way and a chair came up to the man and he sat down

 

“Thanks, Draco” she told him, smiling slightly, looking past his shoulder, then whispered “you look so much like your father”

 

Draco avoided her and her sister’s eyes also and said monotonously “My father was out contacting the other Death Eaters. It will happen soon”

 

“What tipped you off that it was us this time, though we knew something would the moment we saw you” Frieda asked, who was also not looking at him, her body tense

 

“It was your names. I know you like Arthurian legend. Also when you called me Dragon. You two were the only ones who ever did that” at this, a small smile appeared on his thin lips, but disappeared a moment later

 

Draco then stood up and turned towards the door, stepping through, he murmured so lightly that it almost wasn’t heard “be well you two”

 

“Be well Draco” they called after him, sighing and getting up as the screams grew in the distance


	2. The Message

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Key:  
> Italics-mind speak  
> Bold-from the book  
> ~Italics with Symbol~ - the twin’s language

** Chapter 2: The Message  **

Snape was running down the hallway, robes flying out behind him, just like the potions bat that many though him to be. Any and all of the staff that saw him jumped out of his way, most thinking that the professor had finally lost it. The teachers weren’t really that far off though, seeing as while Severus was running, he was muttering things like “thoughtless…why me…how could I let this happen…only 14…” 

The man finally reached the entrance to Dumbledore's office. “Acid Pop” he practically yelled at the gargoyle then stepped onto the lift. While he went up, he was tapping his foot impatiently as he waited for the escalator like stairs to bring him closer to the office. A few seconds later, Snape stood outside of the door, staring blankly at the wood grains on it, trying to organize his thoughts and to take a few seconds to compose himself. Once he was ready, he walked into room and quickly shut the door

“Headmaster,” he said as a greeting, his sneering look being ruined by the anxiety in his eyes “there is something I need to tell you.”

Albus just looked at him and nodded for the potions master to continue

 “Fourteen years ago, the Dark Lord acquired what he considered a great weapon against his enemies. He spoke of a prophecy…”

 Dumbledore let out a soft groan but Snape didn’t notice

 “A prophecy that he told his followers would change this world and many _other_ worlds as we know it. Right before he died, he had entrusted the care of these weapons in the hands of Lucius Malfoy but just this last week he has managed to… er… misplace them”

 Dumbledore looked at him over his half moon spectacles; his sparkling eyes perplexed “Weapons? Misplace? How would he manage to do such a thing?”

 “The problem headmaster” Snape told him tentatively, his hands smoothing his robes nervously “is that it is very hard to keep weapons in one place when they are in fact teenagers…”

 “Teenagers” Dumbledore repeated, his eyes flashing as he spoke in a deadly calm tone. Albus stood up and walked around his desk and in front of Severus “tell me everything you know of and have suspected” the now intimidating man said in all seriousness as he looked into the professor’s eyes

 Snape nodded his head and continued, slightly fearful of the Headmaster. “Yes, children. I have no idea how he found out the prophecy and to whom it referred to but he gave all his Death Eaters explicit instructions on how to train them. They all thought this was going to be easy, but have never been more wrong. They both have enormous power, and in the instructions the Dark Lord gave us, he said to teach them of the Dark Arts and anything else they could handle. From Expelliarmus to Avada Kedavra” Snape’s façade gave way slightly and his eyes flickered away from the headmasters “They could be deadly assassins if they chose to do so, having secretly trained with muggle weapons, but, they started causing problems three years ago, all of this seems to have started right after Draco left for school. I believe that Lucius was waiting until he was gone, then he could swoop in and do whatever he wanted to them. I have heard from my sources recently that they have been kept in one of the Malfoy's dungeons for nigh on three years now. It is to my belief that they have escaped multiple times, but Lucius has been able to get them back within a week every time. All of the other Death Eaters are frantic with worry over loosing them. My same informant also told me that the Death Eaters would come over to the manor sometimes and would find torturing them as… sport…” his was all said in a slightly rushed voice and once he was done, the potions master slumped slightly to the side, looking weary

 Dumbledore looked very grave at the news and the twinkle in his eyes was gone and replaced by furry as images of the Golden Trio and Fred and George being tortured dance through his imagination. How could someone treat children this way? He then turned his fury to Snape “why did you not tell me of this sooner”

 Snape glared slightly at him, the fire coming back in his eyes as he snarled, “do you think I did not want to? We were all submitted to an unbreakable vow to not tell anyone. I found the loophole when the both of them escaped and were not captured again!”

 Albus sighed then said “do you think that they would wish to attend Hogwarts this year?”

 Snape nodded and opened his mouth to explain a few more things when a merlin flew up to the window and started tapping his beak urgently on it.

Dumbledore quickly strode over to the window and opened it, letting the slightly ruffled bird in. The hawk had two letters tied to it and Dumbledore took off the first one. Reaching for the second one, the animal screeched and pecked at his hand. Both the potions professor and the Headmaster looked at the animal strangely, then Albus opened his letter. It read

 

_Dear Dumbledore,_

_We are pleased to inquire about our transfer to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. We have been homeschooled for the past three years and would like to transfer to Hogwarts for our fourth year. We have another letter, but Flauga, our hawk, won’t let anyone other than Severus take it and read it. It is fully his choice whether or not to tell you the contents his letter. If we have guessed correctly, he is standing in the room with you and has already told you about the both of us, for he, like us, have found the loophole in the vow. If by some small chance we are wrong, and he has not told you, tell him that we will be meeting with him when we come to Hogwarts to try to find out where his true loyalties lie. When you are done reading this, please destroy it (it’s also spelled so that only yours and Snape’s eyes will be able to read its true message but better safe than sorry)._

_Best of wishes,_

_Aavyn and Alessa Thelduin_

 

Once Dumbledore was finished reading it, he looked up in surprise “Aavyn and Alessa? Two young women went through all of this?”

At Snape’s nod of consent, the headmaster deflated even more and looked back down at the note in surprise and in curiosity, then turned it around. On the back was a picture. The image depicted two girls, arms around each other, and both with a hard and weathered look in their eyes. They seemed to be leaning on one another for support and their mouths were set into two very grim lines that would give Minerva a run for her money. Both girls, surprisingly, had clean, hip length, shiny hair and were wearing impractical silver and green tattered low cut dresses that barely left anything to the imagination.

The first girl had copper hair, green blue eyes; the other hazel eyes and chocolate brown hair. Both girls had pale skin and even white teeth and appeared to be tall for their age, their hair blowing slightly in the wind. It looked like they were in the woods, and a huge mansion could be seen in the background. Dumbledore regarded picture closely and saw an immense amount of heart wrenchingly deep pain, hatred, anger, and sorrow in the eyes of the girl with copper hair that wasn’t present in that amount in the other. The headmaster finally set down the picture when he saw that nothing more was going to happen. He sighed and put his head in his hands. It pained him to see such a look in one so young. Noticing that Snape was still there, his normal pretense gone and was looking anxious for news, Dumbledore handed him the note and the picture. Snape smirked slightly when he read the part about their little meeting, then looked at the picture, eyes showing a flash of unease before is was hidden again.

He handed the note back to Dumbledore, and said “there’s more writing on the back” Albus nodded and read the last little bit out loud. He cleared his throat and began

 

_We are almost out of ink, but in Snape’s envelope, there is a memory for you to look at in your pensive. See you in September!_

_Signed_ ,

_Aavyn and Alessa_

 Snape looked thoughtful, then went over to Flauga and retrieved his letter. Deciding that he would read it aloud he started.

 

_Severus,_

_I wish this was a letter for salutations, but we do not have time for that. We have some disturbing news, and in the envelope provided you will find a memory. Watch it only after you have read this. Voldemort has regained some_ of _his body back in the form of the foulest, most nauseating infant I have ever seen. He is planning something, but he won’t tell anyone. When we escaped Malfoy Manor, death eaters ambushed us. We thought we could handle them, but there were too many (and we were still too weak). About thirteen I’d say. It’s just absolutely wonderful to know we are such a priority to the ‘cause’, but enough with sarcasm. The reason we wrote you was to tell you that what you feared most has come to pass. It happened on the 21 st of August, in the old Riddle House. He somehow had enough strength to do it. It hurt. It’s been a while since we felt anything besides numbness. Please go and watch the memory now and try not to be too appalled_

_Well wishes,_

_Aavyn and Alessa_

When Snape had finished reading, he looked sick. Without another word, he pulled the vial with the memory in it from the envelope and went over to the pensive. He put the memory in it and just as he and Dumbledore were about to go in, Albus wondered what could have shaken Severus so much.

They plunged down into the pensive, and when everything cleared, it looked like they were standing in the same place that the two girls had stood in the picture. Dumbledore watched the both of them, and even though it appeared they were hurt, they both moved with a grace that was never common in 14 year olds or even adults.

Both men watched them closely, wondering why this memory was so important as both girls cast spells on themselves to clean up all the blood, grease, and grime.

Albus then asked Snape “which one is Aavyn and which one is Alessa?”

Severus smirked slightly and pointed as he answered, “If you are ever in earshot of them, try not to call them that. They both prefer Avery and Alex. The one with the copper hair is Avery, and the brown hair is Alex. They are like no individual you have ever met”

Dumbledore was about to ask what he meant by that, but was then answered when the girl named Avery started talking

“We need to get our of here Alex. Now!”

“What happened to you Avery!” her sister said back “why won’t you tell me”

“Just hurry” she snapped back, her back turned on her sister to hide the sorrow and pain in her eyes, her hands shaking slightly as she fiddled with her ruined dress.

The reason that Avery arguing with her sister answered Albus’s question was because both had a clear, melodic voice, with a hint on an accent he couldn’t quite place. He wondered what had happened to the girl to make her feel this way. Soon, both Snape and Dumbledore heard a snap. After a few seconds of tense silence, both girls stood back to back and held their wands at the ready.

Around thirteen death eaters swarmed into the clearing and formed a circle around the two teenagers, and started firing spells. Both girls took down almost seven death eaters, but the rest overtook them, and they were eventually tied up and stunned. The memory turned white, and then they then saw both girls being dragged up the stairs of a big, old house. The death eater that was half dragging, and half levitating them was Peter Pettigrew and as he reached the top of the stairs, he stepped over what looked like the body of an old man. He brought Alex and Avery into the room, and lied them down in front of a big armchair.

Dumbledore and Snape sidled around the edge of the room, to where the two girls were laying and both took a step back in shock at the sight of Voldemort. They continued to stare while Peter revived both girls. Their immediately reaction was to start struggling, only taking a few seconds to register the child Dark Lord, the sight only furthering their attempts to escape. You-Know-Who laughed at their antics while they twisted and thrashed on the worn and dusty floor as he lifted up his wand. Two bangs later, both were stiff as boards, staring straight up at the ceiling and Voldemort began his prattle.

“Both of you have been very disobedient lately. What shall we do to make sure my two greatest weapons are controlled?”

The girls' eyes widened in panic with the realization of what Voldemort was about to do. All of a sudden, both Aavyn and Alessa had full use of their limbs, and Alex spat at Voldemort, hitting her target. The fear that had been in her eyes now replaced with so unbridled rage and hatred that the professors had to step back from the heated stare.

Avery looked up and yelled along with her sister, a promise of a slow and painful death in her voice as she said, “We are not things to buy or to be put on a leash! We are human! More human than you’ll ever be!”

The only thing Voldemort did was sneer slightly “you seem to have forgotten that you have been leashed by Lucius for the past three years."

The twins blanched at that while their hands flitted towards the necklaces still around their throats.

Voldemort cackled and continued, "Also you are no more human than that fireplace is behind you. You have known for some time that you both are not normal, or human in any way. I am the only one who knows what you both really are, but I know you are both smart enough to realize he same thing also. Imperio”

He cast the spell on Alex, but nothing happened. She just sat there, her eyes mocking.

“You know Tom,” the brown haired teen said “we learned how to throw off the Imperious curse years ago, but extra points for trying though” Avery then spoke up

“Tom, I can honestly say they you are about as deep as a stream. You are too predictable. In fact, you are so shallow, you are probably more akin to a measly puddle” the sneer on her face contesting with Tom Riddles as his eyes grew wider and wider at the comments. All of a sudden, he unbound the twins. Using the combined strength of Peter and Tom, with Nagini helping, he finally got both girls into their knees in front of him, with their left arms, palms up, exposed. Voldemort then cast immobulus. The only thing without the charm on it was their heads. He wanted to hear them scream as he branded them with the Dark mark.

As Voldemort started the spell, both girls bit their lower lip to keep from crying out. Snape knew what the Dark Lord was doing. He was purposely making the initiation process as long and as painful as possible. Both girls were biting their lips so hard that they had started to bleed while angry tears trickled down their faces. When the ‘ceremony’ was over, both girls gave in and laid on the dirty floor of the room, forms shaking as nearly silent sobs escaped their throats until they slowly quieted and passed out. Voldemort had Wormtail bind and gag the now unconscious girls, and put them in the next room.

 He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named did not look as happy as the Headmaster and Potions professor had expected. The memory over, both Snape and the headmaster returned to the office. “I think we have a very big problem on our hands” Albus said into the silence and Severus whole-heartedly agreed with him, worried thoughts going through his head      


	3. The Train Ride

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Key:  
> Italics-mind speak  
> Bold-from the book  
> ~Italics with Symbol~ - the twin’s language

** Chapter 3: The Train Ride **

Harry, Hermione, and the Weasleys went through the brick wall on the platform and headed towards the train, not noticing the two girls that had entered in behind them. As the red headed clan moved off, the shorthaired blonde girls that followed in behind them stopped

“Freedom, at last” the smaller green eyed one with a scar going from an inch above her left eyebrow, missing her eye, and continuing a little ways down her check remarked, her smile more of a grimace

 “Yeah.  And it only took us about fourteen years” said the other girl, who had blue eyes with a yellow ring around the pupil and a scar going from her hair line and along her right cheekbone

 Both chuckled feebly and walked over to an alcove. The blue-eyed one tugged at the neck of her hoodie and pulled it down slightly, exposing a dangerously beautiful and intricate silver choker necklace. The other girl looked at the necklace in hatred and pulled out her wand. She pointed her wand at the choker and quietly whispered “concido! Ah damn!”

 The necklace brightened to a glowing orange and the blue-eyed girl bent over and scrabbled at her throat with blunt fingers, her mouth open in a silent gasp. When she stood back up, there was a blistered red burn on her neck in the design of the choker.

“Well that didn’t work” she ground out, lightly touching the burn marks “do you think it would do the same thing if I tried to heal it?”

“Probably. You remember what happened last time.” said the green eyed one “Our other injuries just got worse every time we tried to fix them.” She grimaced at the memory

 The other girl growled “understatement of the century” and pulled her hoodie back up, wincing slightly as the cloth scraped against her new wound. She backed into the shadows even more and quietly started singing

 

_~Blonde to red,_

_What once had bled, not here nor there. Not anywhere,_

_Dark to light, become now bright,_

_Short to long, where you belong~_

 

The girl’s hair grew down past her lower back and turned copper whilst her eyes brightened to green-blue and the scar on her cheek disappeared slightly so it was only a faint white line. Aavyn stepped back up and the other girl went into the shadows and sang

 

_~Blonde to brown,_

_Sinking down, here not there, nor anywhere,_

_Hazel not green, take on a sheen,_

_Short to long, where you belong~_

 

Alessa’s hair turned to a chestnut color and grew just as long as her sisters. Her green eyes turned back to hazel, sometimes taking on sheen of amber and the scar through her eye also seemed to sink down in her skin, turning into a faint white line.

Both girls looked at each other then Avery said “its good to be back to normal”

 Her sister smiled wolfishly and both quickly slipped onto the train and into a compartment just as the whistle blew, thoughts of new beginning taking root in their minds.

 

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

 

_Flashback_

“Well that was a disaster!” said Aavyn

“I told you we shouldn’t have gone to the Quidditch World Cup!” snapped her sister

Both girls were in a room at the Three Broom Sticks and were just lounging around, waiting for things to quiet down

Avery rolled her eyes and continued wrapping her arm in a bandage, a guarded yet pensive look on her face, wincing as she moved her appendage the wrong way. Alex sighed, looking worriedly at her sister, wrapping up her injuries also. It was silent for a few more minutes

“why don't we just heal these?” both asked in unison, trying to break the tense quiet. The twins cracked a tiny smile and they pulled out their wands and pointed them at each other

“Sanono” both whispered. Nothing happened

“Well I feel better already” said Avery sarcastically, huffing as she sat down

Alex nodded and sank back down onto the stool, wrapping her wounds. It was quiet again until Aavyn stilled and appeared to listen to something.

“What’s wrong?” Alessa asked, pausing in what she was doing

“I don't know…” replied her sister slowly as she shook her long hair out of her face “I feel a strange tingling sensation. It’s like a buzzing sound that when you notice it, you can’t stop noticing it”

Alex put down the bandage, and then after a second of ‘listening’ she muttered, “I feel it too, and what ever it is it can’t be good”

Avery nodded in affirmative, then winced and grabbed her face and bended over in pain as a low moan escaped through her lips.

“What’s wrong?” Alex asked quickly before clutching her face also and bending over, breathing in quick, short pants.

Once both girls had taken their hands away, a deep cut could be seen on each face. Avery's was her cheekbone cut and Alex’s was her eye slash and both were bleeding heavily, the red mess slowly oozing into Alessa’s eye and Avery's slipping down her neck and under her shirt, the white of the bone underneath glinting maliciously in the candle light. The girls were scrambling frantically for bandages when all of a sudden Avery fell over, Alex not far behind her as her right leg gave out, the girls hitting the hard floorboards with an audible _thump_ and a small groan

Avery’s shirt was blooming with blood before she lifted it up and once she had, she cursed “bloody hell!” her eyes going slightly unfocused.

On her abdomen was a large gash going from underneath her left breast and across to her right hip, more previously healed cuts and scars spiraled out from it like leaves, flowers, and vines all opened up before her very eyes, blood soaking the rest of her clothes. She snatched up more bandages and put an impervious charm on them so they wouldn’t get soaked in gore. Aavyn ripped off her ruined shirt and wrapped the bandages around her entire torso, putting a tank top over it.

Alex turned pale and ripped off her jeans, seeing a large gash on her right leg going from her hip and swirling around her leg and down to her knee, cuts like filigree slowly tracing red patterns upon her skin. She also impervioused her bandages and wrapped it around her thigh, pulling on shorts. Alex closed her eyes and, breathing heavily, says “what the bloody hell is happening?”

Avery shrugged and paled even more, leaning against the dull wall for support, as numerous cuts opened up and started bleeding, a low keening sound passing her lips.

“Most of these were closed or already healing. We’ve been set back at the beginning of all of the healing processes. Everything will scar now, and I don't think we will be able to fix it this time”

Alex groaned and said through her hands “we need Severus. I bet he used a poison to do this” gesturing to all the wounds she continued “if we don't hurry, we will bleed to death”

Aavyn nodded and they both stood up, growling “we can’t block it off of we don't expect it or if we have to move” Alessa nodded angrily and both girls stood up and threw floo powder into the fireplace.

Alex stepped in, the warm emerald flames surrounding her, and she yelled “Headmasters Office!” the girl was gone with a swoosh and her sister soon followed. Both climbed out of the fireplace and stumbled to Albus’ desk. Dumbledore wasn’t there, but Fawkes was and the brunette told him ~ _go get Dumbledore and Professor Snape! Its an emergency!~_ Fawkes trilled reassuringly and both girls slumped into two chairs, taking deep breaths. After a couple minutes of sitting, both of the girl’s eyes got glassy and their breathing grew shallow. About another minute later Dumbledore rushed in, Snape on his heals, and Fawkes flying in behind him.

Albus stopped abruptly when her saw the two sisters and Severus almost ran into him. The headmaster then rushed forward again and stopped in front of the collapsed girls to feel for a pulse. The older man looked up sharply and said to the potions master “what are they doing here?”

Snape snapped out of his ‘trance’ and hurried towards the two girls “I know how to bring them out if you need me to, headmaster” the man said quietly, ignoring the question, his tone obviously leaving no room for argument on whether or not her should wake them up

“Go ahead, Severus” Dumbledore said, watching him.

Snape kneeled down and said “Legilimens”

Dumbledore waited impatiently, wondering “ _why does Snape have to use Legilimens on the girls to wake them? And why do they appear asleep but their eyes are open? Along with that, they didn’t have those cuts on their face in the picture so they must be very recent_ ” these thoughts and many more were whirring through the headmasters brain and he was trying to connect the dots when Snape said sharply

“What were you doing!”

Dumbledore started and saw both of the beautiful girls give Severus a wry grin. The one with the copper hair, Avery, he remembered, gave Snape a bigger and (if still slightly weak) dazzling smile and teasingly said in a rough voice “you see Alex, he does really care about us in his own melodramatic way” her head lolled slightly to the side as she said this

Snape stared at her impassively with a hint of humor, and he rolled his eyes at her.

“What happened” Albus asked, making himself known

Both girls grimaced and Avery slowly unwrapped the lower part of her torso bandage while Alex did the same with her leg bandage. When the injuries were uncovered, Dumbledore felt sick and furious all at the same time. Alessa looked down and noticed the greenish tinge to the gash “Oh come on” she groaned, “what hell was that stupid potion he used? I mean, seriously! What kind of sick son of a…”

“Ahem” Dumbledore coughed, a little bit of twinkle back in his eyes

Alex blushed and said “sorry professor Dumbledore, I'm just really mad”

“I would expect so dear girl” the headmaster replied, smiling slightly

Dumbledore then turned his attention to the other sister and saw the large gash across her stomach, bleeding heavily, and with a blackish green tinge to it. Dumbledore whipped out his wand to heal the cuts, but both girls screamed

“NO! DON’T!” their hands held up in the ‘stop’ motion, both falling back into the wooden chairs, panting with exhaustion at the sudden display of energy

Dumbledore put his wand down and looked at the twins inquisitively

“We already tried that” Aavyn stated “we only had smaller healing cuts before, but the healing magic made everything like the way it was when we first got hurt, then sped up the infection”

Snape cursed under his breath and asked “any other symptoms?”

Alex nodded “when we first tried to heal each other, nothing happened, then we got this odd tingling sensation and it started to grow and then this started happening. It started with the most recent ones and is going backward. I can now feel some of the bruises coming on.”

And so they had. Their whole bodies were slowly turning black and blue. Avery groaned “ugh” and clutched her side “and we can’t forget the broken bones. Considering I've almost had every bone in my body broken at one point or another, we might want to hurry up with the antidote if Severus knows what is.”

Snape nodded and turned to the headmaster “I know the poison that was used and the antidote is pretty easy if you have the right ingredients, but almost impossible to make because of a specific ingredient. Headmaster, I will need exactly ten phoenix tears.” Avery looked at Fawkes and after a few moments, Fawkes flew over to Snape and put ten of his tears into the vial that Snape was holding. Severus rushed out of the room and Dumbledore said “I am going to move you both to the hospital wing” both girls opened their mouth to protest and Albus held up his hands “no buts. You are both too weak to be anywhere but there”

Both girls nodded grudgingly and the headmaster conjured stretchers and floated them into the infirmary. Dumbledore put them in separate beds and sat in a chair in between the two beds. Madame Pomfrey bustled in and demanded, “What is the meaning of this, Dumbledore!”

Albus sighed and pulled the curtain around the twins as he said “there is nothing you can do to help, Poppy. Professor Snape is making the antidote to the poison”

Madame Pomfrey stood there, shocked, then harrumphed and went back into her office

Albus steepled his fingers and watched both girls, wishing he could help them through their misery. Both were writhing in pain and Albus watched in horror and growing anger as cuts were etched into their arms. When Dumbledore looked closer, it seemed as if the cuts were shaped into differing patterns and designs. Dumbledore stared at the offensive lines, then shook his head. Even Malfoy wouldn’t stoop to such a level... Then a huge crack permeated the room and Avery half growled half whimpered. He collar bone had cracked in half. Another loud crack quickly followed and Alex’s bones in her upper arm broke as she let out a pained gasp.

Albus started pacing, and it was another half hour before the Potions Professor ran into the room, carrying two steaming mugs of something. When Dumbledore turned and both he and Snape approached the bed, they nearly retched at the sight. It seemed that the poison sped up seeing as both girls had almost completely been covered in bruises and everything from their legs to arms were at odd angles and there were cuts, the most noticeable were the ones on Avery’s cheek and through Alex’s eye. All of the cuts were bleeding sluggishly and both were whimpering and growling at something the headmaster and professor couldn’t see. Their breathing had slowed to an extremely slow and unsteady pace.

Severus quickly approached Alessa and poured the potion in her mouth, past her swollen, cracked, and split lips. He then did the same to Avery and stepped back. Nothing happened for a few minutes and both were starting to loose hope, when there was a loud noise. It was a phoenix song. White mist surrounded both girls and when it cleared, the bones were healed, the bleeding stopped, and the cuts had scabbed over.

Snape went over to the beds, and was quickly punched in the stomach by Alex. She opened her eyes and rasped weakly “sorry Severus. Still on edge” Snape nodded and slowly edged away from the girls, not wanting to get punched again. Albus brought Madam Pomfrey out and said “do as much as you can, but I don't know how this happened” she nodded and bustled off to heal the now unconscious girls with only a slight falter in her steps when she saw them. Madam Pomfrey was a professional.

First they were given blood-replenishing potions and were changed into clean hospital gowns and moved to clean beds, the house elves taking away the bloodied sheets. Poppy soon found out that the cuts wouldn’t heal and tutted and moved onto strengthening the bones. Even though that was the most that the schools’ healer could do, she still felt satisfied that she could help somewhat. Poppy stepped up to the headmaster after she was done with her patients and said to him “they will live, and Merlin forbid, if you ever don't let me see to a student or patient ever again…” Madame Pomfrey left the threat hanging and rushed off back to her office.

Dumbledore chuckled slightly and turned to see the potions professor leaning against the wall, muttering things like “insolent… could have stopped… that man…” and Albus turned away from him and walked up to the beds of the twins, looking at them. Both had angry red cuts everywhere, except their faces. There was only the one and Dumbledore wondered why that area was spared the torture. He pondered on this for a second, then quickly walked out of the hospital wing, going to his office to mull things over. A few minutes later, Snape also left, and when he came back a few hours later, he left a parcel on the nightstand, then left again for his rooms.

 

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

 

The next morning, Dumbledore exited his office to check on the two patients. He quickly walked down the halls and when the headmaster opened the door, the beds were made and empty. Albus looked around the room one more time, and noticed a piece of parchment on one of the nightstands. He picked it up and it read

 

_Dear Severus and Dumbledore,_

_We are terribly sorry that we had to leave so soon, but we don't like to stay in one place for too long. We want to ride the Hogwarts Express for the first time so we really wanted to get back before the 1 st of September_

_Well Wishes,_

_Aavyn and Alex_

_P.S. tell Severus thanks for the package_

 

Albus sat down on one of the beds and rubbed his temples. This year was certainly going to be interesting

_End Flashback_

 

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

 

The golden trio waved at Mrs. Weasley until the train rounded the corner. When they couldn’t see her anymore, **Harry, Ron, and Hermione went back to their compartment. The thick rain splattering the windows made it very difficult to see out of them. Ron undid his trunk, pulled out his maroon dress robes, and flung them over Pigwidgeon's cage to muffle his hooting.**

**"Bagman wanted to tell us what's happening at Hogwarts," he said grumpily, sitting down next to Harry. "At the World Cup, remember? But my own mother won't say. Wonder what -"**

There was a soft tap at the compartment door and the trio looked out through the glass door. Outside of it were two very pretty girls they didn’t recognize. Hermione opened the entrance and said

“Yes?”

“Do you mind if we sit here?” the brunette said in an odd accent “everywhere else is full”

“Are you two new?” Hermione asked politely in response to her question

“Yes” the redhead replied with the same inflection “I'm Aavyn and this is my sister Alessa. And who might you be?”

Harry looked at them and introduced the three of them. “I’m Harry Potter” he paused, waiting for the annoying flick of the eyes up to his scar, but it never came. He vaguely remembered two women at the world cup reacting the same way. He continued, bemused, “and this is Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley”

Both Alessa and Aavyn nodded their heads and Hermione motioned them to have a seat, which they took graciously. Once they were comfortable, Ron, always the blunt one, asked, “What are you?” both girls looked amused by this question. Ron then elaborated, “Are you Veela?” both girls laughed and Ron, Hermione, and Harry sat there, stunned, thinking their laugh wasn’t _normal_

Hermione recovered from the shock fastest and chastised Ron “of course their not Veela, Ronald. Veela have _blonde_ hair. Not red and brown. Honestly!”

Ron opened his mouth to retort but Alessa was faster

“Hermione's right. We aren’t Veela, Ron, only just slightly different from human” this was said cryptically

Hermione, storing that in her head to ponder later, then asked, “Why didn’t you recognize Harry? Are you muggle born? Why are you starting Hogwarts late?”

Aavyn raised an eyebrow at her sister and it looked like they were arguing without saying anything. Alex finally answered, “we recognized Harry, but we know what it’s like to receive unwanted attention.”

A shadow seemed to pass over both of the girl’s faces, then Avery shifted uncomfortably, rubbed her neck, and continued from where her sister left off. “No, we are not muggle born, but we also never knew our parents, and now to answer your last question, we have been… homeschooled… up until now, so we have already talked to Dumbledore and he has told us that we will be sorted with the first years, but will join the fourth years once sorted.”

“That’s the year we’re in” Harry explained. Both girls smiled slightly and Hermione looked at them curiously

“Where are you from? I don't recognize your accent”

Both girls looked stumped and Alex answered, “I honestly have no idea. This is just how we speak. Odd isn’t it?”

Hermione muttered “yes. Odd. Very convenient” wanting to get to the bottom of these two mystery people, then, speaking for everyone to hear, asked, “What classes are you taking?”

Alex paused for a second, trying to remember, then said “all of the normal ones plus Care of Magical Creatures and Divination. We already have a lot of knowldege in Arithmacy and Ancient Runes but were never homeschool in Divination or Creatures.”

“It seemed like divination would be interesting at least, and the most laid back” replied Avery, grinning

Hermione scoffed at the word ‘divination’ and ‘laid back’ and the group fell into an uncomfortable silence as Pig started to screech even louder.

Harry turned to the left slightly and watched the girls out of the corner of his eye. He noticed Aavyn shift a little bit and as the edge of her shirt came up slightly Harry could seen a blood stained bandage for just a second before it was pulled violently down again

“What happened?” he asked, oblivious to the girls discomfort

Avery jerked her head around and said with nonchalance “I got bit by a dog” she shrugged, then turned back to Alex, rubbing her finger along the small scar on her face subconsciously

Alex massaged her upper thigh and winced, then her upper arm and Harry wondered what had happened. It then sounded like Pig was getting even more frantic and his screech was getting higher and higher until, suddenly, Alex cursed and indistinct word and Pig fell silent immediately. Both twins looked content and sat back, appearing to go to sleep.

 

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

 

**The rain became heavier and heavier as the train moved farther north. The sky was so dark and the windows so steamy that the lanterns were lit by midday. The lunch trolley came rattling along the corridor, and Harry bought a large stack of Cauldron Cakes for them to share.**

**Several of their friends looked in on them as the afternoon progressed, including Seamus Finnigan, Dean Thomas, and Neville Longbottom, a round-faced, extremely forgetful boy who had been brought up by his formidable witch of a grandmother. Seamus was still wearing his Ireland rosette. Some of its magic seemed to be wearing off now; it was still squeaking "Troy - Mullet - Moran!" but in a very feeble and exhausted sort of way. After half an hour or so, Hermione, growing tired of the endless Quidditch talk, buried herself once more in The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 4, and started trying to learn a Summoning Charm.**

**Neville listened jealously to the others' conversation as they relived the Cup match.**

**"Gran didn't want to go," he said miserably. "Wouldn't buy tickets. It sounded amazing though."**

**"It was," said Ron. "Look at this, Neville..."**

**He rummaged in his trunk up in the luggage rack and pulled out the miniature figure of Viktor Krum.**

**"Oh wow," said Neville enviously as Ron tipped Krum onto his pudgy hand.**

**"We saw him right up close, as well," said Ron. "We were in the Top Box -"**

**"For the first and last time in your life, Weasley."**

**Draco Malfoy had appeared in the doorway. Behind him stood Crabbe and Goyle, his enormous, thuggish cronies, both of whom appeared to have grown at least a foot during the summer. Evidently they had overheard the conversation through the compartment door, which Dean and Seamus had left ajar.**

Before either Harry or Ron could respond, Malfoy’s eyes widened when he caught sight of Avery and Alex. His mask fell slightly and a look of relief passed over his eyes before they grew cold. He raised his voice slightly and said on a completely unrelated note “ever seen a Dragon, Potter?”

 Harry just looked at him, extremely confused about this change of subject, until the twins got up and murmured something about the loo. On their way out, Draco blocked their path and sneered. Avery slapped him upside the head, ruining his perfectly gelled hair, and shoved past, bumping into him on her way out, a brief flash of parchment appearing before Alessa followed. There were a few more tense seconds until Malfoy turned tail and left the compartment, leaving his goons standing there with a bewildered look on their face

 “What was that all about?” Ron asked

 Everyone else just shrugged

 “I don't know, but I want to find out” Harry told him, grabbing his cloak

 

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

 

Draco sauntered into his compartment and slid the door shut. When the blinds were down, he sighed and sat in the seat opposite the twins

 “Got your note. I'm glad you made it” he muttered

 Both gave a single sharp nod

“I feel like a real git for not realizing that….”

“Shut up” Avery told him with a hint of a snarl, finally looking up and meeting his eyes “it was never your fault. Only your fathers. If your only going to blame yourself for this then leave”

The train rattled on in silence as the boy looked shocked but didn’t stand up to leave. After a few more minutes of silence and muted conversations drifting in through the walls, Draco finally asked, “can I at least see?”

The twins stilled and looked at each other, then Alessa muttered with false bravado “we need to accept this at some point”

Both took off their hoodies and exposed pale and fit arms. Each drew their wand and said “Revelare maxima” the glamour dropped and it was all exposed. It was still an angry red from it only scabbing over a few days previously. Draco stared at the two of them, eyes roaming over the offending marks, a green tinge coloring his face.

“Refoveo potion” Avery supplied bitterly

Draco nodded his head in dazed understanding. After he was done looking, his head dropped into his hands and the girls sat down, while taking deep gasping breaths, trying to stop himself from passing out. The tension in the compartment lessening slightly at that reaction.

“I'm sor…”

“Don’t, Dragon” Alex told him with a mix of steel and gentleness, using their childhood nickname as they put their glamour and jackets back on. They all locked eyes, then the girls left in a swish of hair. Once they left, Draco resumed his earlier position with his head in his hands, green tinge still visible on his pale skin.

As the twins exited, they leaned against the wall of the train for a second, breathing deeply, eyes closed, then they headed in the direction of the loo. Harry quickly slipped back into his own compartment and after a few more minutes, Aavyn and Alessa came back in and they were dressed in their robes. It was then that Harry noticed that both kept checking their hair, clothing, and wrists to make sure it was all in the right place, and on top of that, when they walked back to their seats, even though it was graceful, there was a carefulness to it that led him to believe they were injured in some way or another.

The rest of the ride consisted of awkward silences, small talk, along with passed parchment that had the words ‘ _they met with Malfoy. Details later’_ written on it and passed around along with ‘discreet’ looks towards the two mysteries.

 

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

 

When it was time to change into their school robes, the boys left the compartment to give the girls privacy. Hermione was almost done getting her clothes out, but before she changed, she thought of something

“Why did Malfoy follow you?”

The twins looked at her weirdly “we went to the bathroom” Alex told her “he couldn’t have followed us in there without us noticing, that prat”

Hermione sighed and turned all the way around “Harry followed you two. He saw you meet up with him”

“Is there a reason you thought any of that was your business?” Avery snapped, her eyes flashing dangerously as her lack of patience showed.

“I just want to know why” the bushy haired girl replied with a hint of a blush. “I have known him for over three years now and you don't seem quite like the Slytherin type”

“We’re old family friends” Alex told her in a tight voice “haven’t seen each other in over three years. A lot can change a person in that time”

“Some things never change though” Avery added quietly

Hermione looked a little uncomfortable, then quickly got dressed. Once they had exited out of the compartment Ron exclaimed “finally! You girls take forever!”

The three of them rolled their eyes and Hermione replied “honestly Ron…”

When the boys were changed, it was time to get off the train and when the doors opened, the twins silently melted in with the crowds

 

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

 

“So what did you hear?” Hermione asked Harry as they were rocking away in the carriage on their way to the castle

“Well Malfoy sauntered into the compartment and told them her got their note”

 “What note?” Ron asked in confusion

Hermione thought back to when Malfoy and his goons had come in “he must have gotten it when Aavyn bumped into him”

They all nodded in agreement and Harry continued “he said he was glad they were back or something and then he called himself a prat. Aavyn told him to shut up and it was silent for a few minutes. After that, Draco asked if her could ‘see it.’ They said a spell and one of the twins said the words ‘Refoveo Potion’ or something along those lines. It was silent then it sounded like Malfoy was either gonna pass out or throw up then he tried to apologize…”

Ron looked dumbfounded

“… But he was cut off and I think Alessa called him ‘Dragon.’ Any ideas to what all of this means?”

Hermione put on her thinking face “I think they might know each other from a while back. Calling him Dragon might be a nickname. Draco in Latin means dragon. I've never heard of a Refoveo Potion before so I think I’ll check the…”

“…Library” Harry and Ron finished for her, smirking. She chuckled and the three of them kept tossing ideas around until their carriage arrived at the school, questions whirring around in their heads at a hundred miles an hour.


	4. The Sorting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Key:  
> Italics-mind speak  
> Bold-from the book  
> ~Italics with Symbol~ - the twin’s language

Hermione screamed as peeves dropped yet another water balloon on the unsuspecting students, then winced when Professor McGonagall grabbed her around the neck

**"Ouch - sorry, Miss Granger -"**

**"That's all right, Professor!" Hermione gasped, massaging her throat.**

**"Peeves, get down here NOW!" barked Professor McGonagall, straightening her pointed hat and glaring upward through her square-rimmed spectacles.**

**Harry, Ron, and Hermione hurried into the Great Hall and took a seat near the front of the table**

“What about those two girls on the train, hunh?” Ron asked looking dreamy

“Yah.” Harry said, “They were a little peculiar. Look, you know how I followed them when Malfoy followed them out of the compartment?”

Both Hermione and Ron nodded and Harry continued

“Well, I just remembered that towards the end, one of them then said ‘Refoveo potion’ do you know what that does Hermione?”

Ron shrugged his shoulders and Hermione looked like she wanted to go to the library to look up a Refoveo potion. Soon the sorting started, and the first years plus the twins entered the Great Hall. The Golden Trio noticed that most of the boys were staring at Avery and Alex, and both were rolling their eyes, ignoring the attention.

“Do you know what their last names are?” Harry asked Hermione. She shook her head as the sorting hat opened his mouth

**A thousand years or more ago,**

**When I was newly sewn, there lived four wizards of renown,**

**Whose names are still well known:**

**Bold Gryffindor, from wild moor,**

**Fair Ravenclaw, from glen,**

**Sweet Hufflepuff, from valley broad,**

**Shrewd Slytherin, from fin.**

**They shared a wish, a hope, a dream,**

**They hatched a daring plan**

**To educate young sorcerers**

**Thus Hogwarts School began.**

**Now each of these four founders**

**Formed their own house, for each**

**Did value different virtues**

**In the ones they had to teach.**

**By Gryffindor, the bravest were**

**Prized far beyond the rest;**

**For Ravenclaw, the cleverest**

**Would always be the best;**

**For Hufflepuff, hard workers were**

**Most worthy of admission;**

**And power-hungry Slytherin**

**Loved those of great ambition.**

**While still alive they did divide**

**Their favorites from the throng,**

**Yet how to pick the worthy ones**

**When they were dead and gone?**

**Twas Gryffindor who found the way,**

**He whipped me off his head**

**The founders put some brains in me**

**So I could choose instead!**

**Now slip me snug about your ears,**

**I've never yet been wrong,**

**I'll have a look inside your mind**

**And tell where you belong!**

**The Great Hall rang with applause as the Sorting Hat finished.**

**Professor McGonagall was now unrolling a large scroll of parchment.**

**"When I call out your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool," she told the first years. "When the hat announces your House, you will go and sit at the appropriate table.**

**"Ackerley, Stewart!"**

**A boy walked forward, visibly trembling from head to foot, picked up the Sorting Hat, put it on, and sat down on the stool.**

**"RAVENCLAW!" shouted the hat.**

**Stewart Ackerley took off the hat and hurried into a seat at the Ravenclaw table, where everyone was applauding him.**

**"Baddock, Malcolm!" "SLYTHERIN!"**

**The table on the other side of the hall erupted with cheers**

**"Branstone, Eleanor!" "HUFFLEPUFF!" "Cauldwell, Owen!" "HUFFLEPUFF!" "Creevey, Dennis!"**

**"GRYFFINDOR!" the hat shouted.**

**"Pritchard, Graham!"**

**"SLYTHERIN!"**

**"Quirke, Orla!"**

**"RAVENCLAW!"**

McGonagall then called “Thelduin, Aavyn”

Whispers broke out through the hall as Aavyn walked up to the Professor and muttered “its Avery”

McGonagall just smiled wryly and placed the hat on her head. The hall waited in silence as she was sorted. And they waited. And they waited. Finally, after about six minutes, the hat shouted in an odd voice “GRYFFINDOR!”

The boys at the table clapped enthusiastically

"What was that all about?" Ron asked

"I don't know" replied Hermione

“Thelduin, Alessa”

“Alex” the brown haired girl autocorrected

McGonagall rolled her eyes and placed the hat on her head

It was about half the time that her sister's was until the hat shouted “GRYFFINDOR”

Everyone clapped again and Alex joined her sister at the table away from Hermione because she was looking at them like they were a puzzle to be solved, and sat next to Avery who was sitting next to George Weasley

The sorting continued and finally, with "Whitby, Kevin!" ("HUFFLEPUFF!"), the Sorting ended. Professor McGonagall picked up the hat and the stool and carried them away.

George turned to Aavyn and held out his hand and presented with gusto “the sir knight, George Weasley, and his lowly squire, Fred!”

Avery chuckled and took his hand saying in a fake, breathy voice “And I am the fair maiden, Lady Aavyn Thelduin.” Then returning to her normal voice, “or Avery. Whichever you prefer”

George smiled as she shook his hand. “So what year will you be joining? It’s obvious you’re not an ickle firsty.”

“Both Alex and I will be joining the fourth years”

“Ah… And here we were thinking you would join us and the other sixth years”

“If only that twas true, fair knight” Alex said, butting in. “and who is this unassertive squire?” while pointing at George’s other half

“Ah. This poor squire be Fred, and I be the sir knight, George. Ron is our younger brother.

Fred then intruded “ah, and you must be the fair maiden, Alessa, or is it Alex?”

Alex rolled her eyes at the other twin’s antics “its just Alex. Alessa is too girly.”

“Ah” George replied with a professor like voice “seeing as you are girls you wouldn’t want girly names, right”

“Exactly.” Avery stated, “I'm glad you could finally get to that conclusion on your own, oh slow one." 

George grabbed his chest in mock hurt “dost the lady imply the almighty Sir George is as slow as a Flobber Worm”?

“I dost,” replied the offender  

**When the puddings too had been demolished, and the last crumbs had faded off the plates, leaving them sparkling clean, Albus Dumbledore got to his feet again. The buzz of chatter filling the Hall ceased almost at once, so that only the howling wind and pounding rain could be heard.**

**"So!" said Dumbledore, smiling around at them all. "Now that we are all fed and watered, I must once more ask for your attention, while I give out a few notices.**

**"Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me to tell you that the list of objects forbidden inside the castle has this year been extended to include Screaming Yo-yos, Fanged Frisbees, and Ever-Bashing Boomerangs. The full list comprises some four hundred and thirty-seven items, I believe, and can be viewed in Mr. Filch's office, if anybody would like to check it."**

**The corners of Dumbledore's mouth twitched. He continued, "** As you can see, we have two new students who will be joining our fourth years this year due to homeschooling for the previous three years, and I hope you will give them both a warm welcome. **I would also like to remind you all that the forest on the grounds is out-of-bounds to students, as is the village of Hogsmeade to all below third year.**

 

**"It is also my painful duty to inform you that the Inter-House Quidditch Cup will not take place this year."**

**"What?" Harry gasped. He looked around at Fred and George, his fellow members of the Quidditch team. They were mouthing soundlessly at Dumbledore, apparently too appalled to speak. Dumbledore went on, "This is due to an event that will be starting in October, and continuing throughout the school year, taking up much of the teachers' time and energy - but I am sure you will all enjoy it immensely. I have great pleasure in announcing that this year at Hogwarts -"**

**But at that moment, there was a deafening rumble of thunder and the doors of the Great Hall banged open.**

**A man stood in the doorway, leaning upon a long staff, shrouded in a black traveling cloak. Every head in the Great Hall swiveled toward the stranger, suddenly brightly illuminated by a fork of lightning that flashed across the ceiling. He lowered his hood, shook out a long mane of grizzled, dark gray hair, then began to walk up toward the teachers' table.**

Both Avery and Alex’s eyes widened slightly when they saw the man as they looked at him suspiciously and followed his every movement with their eyes. Fred and George looked at them strangely, then turned back to Mad-Eye Moody as Dumbledore welcomed him.

“I don't trust that man” Alex stated while Avery nodded in agreement

When the headmaster announced that the Tri-Wizard tournament was to be held, Fred and George looked down the table in excitement to try to see the reactions of everyone else, but the girls caught their eye and they looked strangely at them. Both looked very uneasy and when the students in the Great Hall were released to their dorms, Fred and George quickly followed them out of the hall, seeing as they were the first to leave.

“What’s wrong?” Fred asked asked

“Nothing” Alessa replied, her face a mask of cool indifference 

Forge and Gred looked at each other disbelievingly, shrugged, then offered their arms to the twins and George said “would thou dost like thy lovely Sir Knight and thy Lowly Squire to escort thee to thy place of residence?”

“Oh but I be only a lowly maiden, and am undeserving of such attention from one such as thee, but I dost except.” The fair maiden Aavyn replied, as she tentatively took Sir George’s arm

Alex sighed and said in mock disappointment “I suppose a lowly squire is better than nothing”

Fred puffed out his chest, trying to look as dignified as possible and Alex smirked and patted his cheek in a motherly way, then took his arm to help mend his wounded pride as they made their way to the Gryffindor common room.

Hermione came out from one of the alcoves. But she was **not** eavesdropping. She just happened to be hiding in a convenient listening place where no one could see her. Hermione hurried along to catch up with her friends.


	5. Sweet Dreams...

Running. Always running, but her feet wouldn’t move fast enough. He was catching up. Her sister was already gone. Dead or just captured she would never know. All she knew was to never let him catch her. The corridor was dark. Darkness. The darkness was all around her. As she managed to move, she looked into the cells of the dungeons. Blood. There was blood on the walls and the floor. She pushed onward until she fell, unable to get up, too weak to move on. He came. He came with his wand and his knife, a maniacal smile on his face as the predator caught the prey. He leaned over. Platinum. His platinum hair was hanging past his face, almost touching her. He raised the knife up, ready to strike. It came crashing down and hit its mark, rending her flesh, blood pooling on the ground around her, dying her skin read. He drew the knife up again and brought it swinging back down in a high arch, aiming for her chest. It  was as if it was in slow motion, coming closer, and closer, and closer, until…

“AAAAHHHHHH”

“Alessa wake up!” her sister yelled, shaking her “its only a dream”

Alex’s eyes popped open and she sat up, looking around the room like a wounded and cornered animal. Avery grabbed her face and forced her to look in her eyes

“It was only a dream” she said “its okay now. It was only a dream” she repeated this until her sister’s breathing calmed and her pupils had shrunken back down to normal size. After she was completely calm on the outside, a wave of thoughts, feelings, and words went to Avery. The torrent clearly (or at least clearly to her) made out the question ‘why not you?’ Aavyn responded in kind, her mixed emotions and pictures depicting the answer ‘I never slept.’ And so she hadn’t. Alex could see the faint hint of dark circles under her eyes. It was then that the twins noticed the other three girls in the room

“Bad dream” Avery said coolly “it happens”

Lavender and Pavarti just shrugged and turned around to continue their gossiping. Hermione, however, bit her lip nervously as she looked at the twins. Both were slightly paler than they usually were. She started forward, paused, then backed back up to her bed and finished getting ready.

 

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

 

“What do you have today?” Fred asked as he and his brother sat in front of the girls. Avery swallowed her porridge she said

“Herbology with the Hufflepuffs, break, Care of Magical Creatures with the Slytherins…”

The Weasley twins pulled their faces into grotesque masks and the Thelduins chuckled

“…Lunch, and then double divination”

George pulled the hood from his cloak up on his head and put on a vague looking and mysterious face. He closed his eyes and put his first two fingers to his head, while saying “I see two strange men following you with fire for hair. Be wary for they might prank you”

“Is that a threat?” Alex asked in an amused voice

“No” Fred and George replied in unison “it’s a promise”

      

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

 

It was after Herbology and both Aavyn and Alessa had a free period so they wandered around the grounds for the remainder of their time. After ten minutes of walking, the girls could be found pacing in front of the perimeter of the forbidden forest, the trees swaying ominously in the slight breeze                           

“I swear I heard someone call my name!” Avery said angrily to her sister while she blew her hair our of her face angrily

“Aavyn,” Alex replied in a soothing voice “you did tell me that you didn’t sleep last night. You are probably just hearing things”

Avery glared crossly at her Alex “I know that I'm not having delusions Alessa! I clearly heard a voice say…”

~ _Follow me. To the woods Aavyn, Alessa~  
_

“Exactly!” the red head exclaimed “that’s exactly what the voice said… wait, what?”

“I heard it this time too!” her sister said, her eyes growing wide

“Let's follow it!”

“Oh sure” muttered Alessa as she ran into the woods after her “follow the eerie voice that can get into our heads."

~ _Faster. Faster. Follow~_  scents and images of where the thing was were being sent to the girls

The twins picked up the pace and ran so fast it appeared as if they were flying. The Voice kept egging them on until the two of them came upon a wall of bushes and thorns. They drew their wands and blasted a hole in the shrubbery and they climbed through just in time to see a monstrous creature cast in shadows take off and fly into the sunlight. Aavyn muttered a curse and scampered up a tree, her sister not far behind. When they reached the top of it, their heads poking above the canopy, they could see the beast rear its head up and spray fire over the forest and roar. It turned, its scales shining in the sun and blinding them like encrusted jewels

~ _Come~_  (which they now assumed was the beast) told the girls.

They smiled and jumped out of the tree, preparing to run after it until an cross voice said, “hold it there yeh two! Wha’ do yah think yer doin’ in the forbidden forest?”

It was then the man noticed that both girls has their wands pointed at him, poised on the balls of their feet and in fight of flight mode.

“Who are you?” Alex asked him, tension in her voice

The vaguely familiar stranger, who happened to be twice as tall as any man and had a wild beard with beetle black eyes looked at her with a squinted brow and asked “yer both those new students aren’t yah?”

The girls gave quick, short nods in response, wands still poised on the man

“I'm Rubeus Hagrid, Care O’ Magical Creatures Teacher. Wha’ are yah doin’ out here?”

“We could ask the same thing” Avery told him, pocketing her wand “but we’ll tell you. We were exploring the grounds when we came up to the forest and we heard a voice. We followed it and when we reached whoever was responsible for the sound, he got away. We were about to follow him when you came along. Your turn” she put her hands on her hips and looked at him with penetrating eyes

“I was ou’ collectin’ supplies for todays class” Hagrid said with a shrug “I'm in here all o’ the time”

The twins nodded in understanding and Alex looked at her watch “class is about to start”

Hagrid jumped and hurried back in the direction of his class, Avery and Alex trailing behind him. When they came to class, a few people were already there and one of them happened to be Malfoy. He glanced over at them and his eyes quickly flicked back to the thing he was previously looking at. The twins were curious so they looked in the direction his eyes were facing. He was staring at a tree. Not a particularly extraordinary tree, just a plain old oak tree. Avery and Alex gave him a weird look and he just shrugged his shoulders as if he could feel their judgmental eyes.

As the rest of the class arrived, Hagrid began talking about the skrewts that he had managed to get ahold of. Malfoy made his sarcastic remarks and while Aavyn and Alessa could see the other Gryffindors go tense at his comments, they were trying to hold in a chuckle.

_“Typical Draco”_ both thought _“him and his big mouth. Never thinks before he speaks”_

As the lesson continued, there were no incidents on the twins behalf but other students were getting stung and burned and by the end of it, everyone was tired and exhausted. Well, everyone except the Thelduins and Hagrid. As the students left for lunch, the brunette and redhead stayed behind and helped Hagrid clean up and set up for his next class before the three of them headed to lunch together

“best animal ever?” Alex asked the two of them

“I would give anything to see a dragon. Just to see one” Avery sighed, an awed look in her eyes

Hagrid looked like he had died and had gone to heaven “I owned a dragon once” he told them in a low voice “ ‘fore I became a teacher. Had tah give it up tho”

The twins looked excited and as they were about to head to their respective tables, Hagrid reminded them “yah two can have tea at my place any time”

They smiled and nodded their heads in response, the Golden Trio watching the exchange with interest. Soon Avery and Alex had gone over to their seat across from Fred and George and the four of them were soon engaged in conversation.

 

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

 

Harry Ron and Hermione had just sat down to their lunch when Hagrid and the two new girls came walking in. The three of them were talking and smiling and as the exchanged ended, Hagrid invited them for tea.

“What do you think that was about?” Harry asked in a low voice.

Hermione shrugged and looked interested as the two sat down across from Ron’s older brothers and immediately picked up a conversation. When Hermione looked closed, she could see that the pain in their eyes had diminished as they laughed and joked with the troublemakers. A few minutes later she was hurrying out of the Great Hall and into the library for research.  

    

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

 

“How are… they going… so fast?” Ron asked Harry as the two of them tailed behind the twins as they went up to Divination.

“I have no… Idea” Harry panted as he tried to catch up with the girls retreating backs.

A few minutes later, the boys finally entered the classroom and sat down, Harry looking around for Avery and Alex. He spotted them and both waved at him, mouthing the words ‘Slow Poke.’ Harry pretend glared at the two of them and they chuckled. A few more seconds later,Harry noticed the twins wrinkle their noses and sneeze and cough at the smell of the sweet perfume coming from the fire, like it was way more pungent than it actually was. 

Alex was then startled when she heard the ‘mysterious’ voice of their professor and she drew her wand slightly until she realized it was just Trelawney, and slid it back up her sleeve as Avery tensed, stiff as a board.

Professor Trelawney looked at them with sorrow in her eyes and said in her vague voice “you poor, poor, dears. I sense the thing you fear most will come to pass sooner than you think. My inner eye sees past your cool façade and into your troubled soul within.

Avery snorted and passed it off as a sneeze while Alex snickered with then turned into a hacking cough, but when Harry looked closer at them, he saw that their eyes were as hard as stone.

Trelawney looked at them with pity one more time before clapping her hands **"My dears, it is time for us to consider the stars," she said. "The movements of the planets and the mysterious portents they reveal only to those who understand the steps of the celestial dance. Human destiny may be deciphered by the planetary rays, which intermingle...."** but Harry's thoughts drifted. _Why did she draw her wand? Why do their eyes look so much older than they actually are? What was up with them and Hagrid this afternoon? And what…_ but he was cut off from his musings by a well place jab in his side from Ron’s elbow

**"What?"**

**Harry looked around; the whole class was staring at him. He sat up straight; he had been almost dozing off, lost in the heat and his thoughts.**

**"I was saying, my dear, that you were clearly born under the baleful influence of Saturn," said Professor Trelawney, a faint note of resentment in her voice at the fact that he had obviously not been hanging on her words.**

**"Born under - what, sorry?" said Harry.**

**"Saturn, dear, the planet Saturn!" said Professor Trelawney, sounding definitely irritated that he wasn't riveted by this news. "I was saying that Saturn was surely in a position of power in the heavens at the moment of your birth...Your dark hair...your mean stature...tragic losses so young in life...I think I am right in saying, my dear, that you were born in midwinter?"**

**"No," said Harry, "I was born in July."**

Alex and Avery, who both found they had no love for Professor Trelawney, chuckled while Ron hastily turned his laugh into a hacking cough. 

When divination was finally over, the twins went to the nearest open window and breathed in the fresh air.

“That class was torture! You would think fortunetelling would be fun!” Avery sighed

Both Ron and Harry nodded “she’s and old fraud” Ron replied as Hermione ran up to them to tell them about Professor Vector’s class while they headed to dinner

"Weasley! Hey, Weasley!"

Harry, Ron, Hermione and the twins turned around, the trio in exasperation and Avery and Alex in slight humor. Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle were standing there, each looking thoroughly pleased about something.

"What?" said Ron shortly.

"Your dad's in the paper, Weasley!" said Malfoy, brandishing a copy of the Daily Prophet and speaking very loudly, so that everyone in the packed entrance hall could hear. "Listen to this!

Malfoy read the article and when he was done he looked up.

**"Imagine them not even getting his name right, Weasley. It's almost as though he's a complete nonentity, isn't it?" he crowed. "And there's a picture, Weasley!" said Malfoy, flipping the paper over and holding it up. "A picture of your parents outside their house - if you can call it a house! Your mother could do with losing a bit of weight, couldn't she?"**

the twins silently hit their heads against the nearest wall while Ron was shaking with fury. Everyone was staring at him.

**"Get stuffed, Malfoy," said Harry. "C'mon, Ron..."**

**"Oh yeah, you were staying with them this summer, weren't you, Potter?" sneered Malfoy. "So tell me, is his mother really that porky, or is it just the picture?"**

**"You know your mother, Malfoy?" said Harry - both he and Hermione had grabbed the back of Ron's robes to stop him from launching himself at Malfoy - "that expression she's got, like she's got dung under her nose? Has she always looked like that, or was it just because you were with her?"**

**Malfoy's pale face went slightly pink** and the twins were glaring so hard at Harry that it could have burned a hole through his head

**"Don't you dare insult my mother, Potter.**  You don't understand what she..."

**"Keep your fat mouth shut, then," said Harry,**  cutting him off and **turning away.**

**BANG!**

 

A flash of light streaked past Harry while two others his their mark discreetly. quickly after that, another streak of light made it's way towards Draco, only to be sent back at its caster. There was a yelp, and a thud as Mad-Eye dove to the ground to avoid his hex. While everyone was looking around in confusion, the twins swept up Malfoy and managed to usher him into an unused classroom.

"Dragon..." Avery began

"I know" he said with a pained look on his face 

"You can't just..." Alex tried to tell him

"I KNOW!" he shouted back, his face flushed "but if he only knew what she's done. What she is still doing for me and the both of you" he rubbed a hand over his face. 

"How did you find out?" Aavyn asked with a little frown.

"Before I went off for school, she gave me a journal that she can use to communicate easily between the two of us. They can only be keyed to and opened by one person so she thought they were safe enough to...erm... explain the situation."

"She told you everything?"

"She told me what she knew for sure and what she suspected." His icy mask was now completely gone and his body was tense "Aavyn, Alessa..." he began, but the girls were shaking their head and backing up slowly. 

"We never wanted you to know everything" Alex said in a small voice "we never..."

Draco lunged at the two of them and they screamed and tried to back away further, but all he did was pull them into a bone crushing hug, thin fingers combing through their hair like his mother used to do to him when he was upset. After of few minutes of stroking, both girls finally relaxed and the three of them just stood there. It was Avery who broke the tentative peace, her body started quivering and her breaths came out in quick pants. Draco let go of Alex and lowered her sister down to the floor, fingers still soothingly stroking her hair as he murmured nonsensical things to her.

Finally she calmed down enough to whisper "It's been so long since I've had any kind of touch that wasn't painful or malicious. It has been three years since I've had anyone to comfort me. Sorry. Just overwhelmed me for a second." She put her head between her knees and started taking deep breaths.

"Do you need to talk about what happened?" Draco asked with a quiet voice

She shook her head, he facial mask slipping back into place as Draco helped her up off of the floor

"I just want you to know that I'm here for you." the blonde told the both of them, squeezing both of them into a hug one last time "If you need to talk about anything at all, you can come to me." and with that, and a murmured "we have a meeting with the headmaster" the masks of three people were replaced and they strode out of the classroom as if nothing had ever happened.

 

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

 

Hermione was worried. Really worried. After the confrontation with Malfoy, Hermione decided to follow the little trio and see what they were up to and listened in on the entire conversation until the last few minutes (she was worried that her growling stomach would give her away). She was determined to figure out what was going on and the only way to do that was to go to the Headmaster. 


	6. Strange Happenings

****

"Headmaster?" Hermione asked as she knocked politely on Albus Dumbledore's door.

There was a soft "come in" and the brunette entered and closed the door quietly behind her, looking around the room, her curiosity running wild when her eyes fell upon all of his silver trinkets and mechanisms. There was a polite cough and Hermione turned back towards Dumbledore, cheeks burning.

"What can I do for you Miss Granger?" Albus asked, eyes twinkling 

"I'm worried" Hermione started

"Worried about what?"

"Aavyn and Alessa. Strange things seem to be happening around them and I have managed to hear a few interesting details and what I have heard worries me and I'm not sure that..."

Dumbledore held his hand up, twinkle diminished in his eye "Miss Granger, I must ask you to let all of this go. I am well aware of their delicate situation I must ask you to not confront them nor continue investigating this"

"But..." Hermione chewed on her lip with worry "I heard them with Malfoy and it sounded like he was _comforting_ them and..."

"Miss Granger" the headmaster said in all seriousness "you musent pursue this. It will not end well"

"But Headmaster..."

"Good day Miss Granger"

Hermione stood up and stared at Albus for a little bit, then slunk out of the room, the door banging just slightly on her way out.

 

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

 

Harry Potter and Ron Weasley were walking past the library when all of a sudden they were knocked over and dragged into it.

“Ow! Geroff Hermione!” Ron said loudly, Madame Pince and the bushy haired girl shushing him

She let Ron and Harry stand up and she dragged them to a table in the back behind a few bookshelves. 

“Have you sen Avery and Alex?” Hermione asked, a trace of annoyance and impatience in her voice.

“We saw them heading towards the Headmaster's office a few minutes ago” Harry answered “Hermione where did you…”

Hermione cut him off by plopping a large book on the desk and flipping towards the back. Harry glanced at the cover and noticed it was the same book that they had used to make Poly Juice potion in their second year. Moste Potente Potions.

Hermione finally found the page she was looking for “Refoveo Potion” she said with impatience.

Harry and Ron looked at her like she was crazy

“Honestly you two! Don't you pay attention to _anything?”_

“Hermione, could you just explain what this is all about?” Ron groaned

Hermione tutted and said in a whisper “this is the potion that Harry said that one of the twins said! The Refoveo Potion. I’ve been in the library to figure out what it is and its really dark magic.”

“Hermione, how did you get permission to get this book? Its in the restricted section.” Harry asked

Hermione shrugged and said “Professor Vector gave me a permission slip”

She pushed the book around so it faced Harry and Ron and it read

_The Refoveo or Recreate Potion is one of the darkest potions to man. If it is integrated into the blood system of a human being, then whenever that being is healed magically, instead of the healing magic working, it reverses the effects and any injury that the person had ever received in its life is recreated. There is only one known antidote._

Underneath was gruesome picture depicting a screaming man writhing in pain as his bones broke and blood gushed out of him. 

When Hermione saw that they were done reading, she snapped the book shut. Harry looked up, sick. 

“Why would someone use this on them?” 

“I don't know, but that is what I want to find out.” Hermione replied “but what I'm wondering the most is why is it worth mention? Many people our age haven’t hurt themselves that much. Imagine if you were tortured and your blood was mixed with the potion then you tried to heal yourself”

Ron then spoke up in an animated voice “maybe they were trapped in the Malfoy dungeons and tortured and Malfoy’s dad then he forced them to ingest the potion”

Harry and Hermione stared at him, then Hermione told him in a slow voice “Ron, that’s not possible. What would Mr. Malfoy want with the both of them?”

Ron shrugged and Hermione sighed, muttering “boys!” then she perked up and said to them "I found out a few more things about them"

Ron and Harry sat up and looks at her with rapt attention while she explained everything that he had heard from the classroom

"And then, Aavyn started to sound like she was going to throw up and it took a while for her breathing to even out and she said 'It's been so long since I've had any kind of touch that wasn't painful or malicious. It has been three years since I've had anyone to comfort me.' What do you guys think?"

"It sounds like both Malfoy and Mrs. Malfoy know exactly what is going on" Harry said "and it also sounds like Malfoy is actually being... helpful?"

"I don't even know what to think" Hermione said "the very idea that someone has only been hurt and had no form of comfort for the past three years is really hard to digest"

"Do you think they could have been faking if?" Ron said 

Hermione shook her head vigorously, curls bouncing off her shoulders and face "I heard them scream and looked through the key hole but it only looked like Malfoy was... hugging... them. If they had been abused for the past three years, someone coming towards them could cause that reaction. My point is though, is that the scream could not have been a fake."

"I think I would scream if Malfoy tried to hug  _me_ " Ron muttered. Harry slapped him on that back of the head. 

"This is serious Ron" he hissed, the topic hitting a little too close to home.

Ron glared at Harry while Hermione rolled her eyes and, still looking thoughtful, quickly pulled out a piece of parchment and quill and started writing on it at full speed. Harry looked over her shoulder and read what she was writing. The parchment said

_Questions About Alessa and Aavyn Thelduin_

  1. _Has Hogwarts ever had a transfer student? A late starter? And if so, when was the last time?_
  2. _They don't look human. What race/species are they? Humans don't look or talk like that? Why are they so graceful? Why are their reflexes so fast?_
  3. _Why do they wear pants instead of the usual skirt for their uniform?_
  4. _What are they talking to Dumbledore about right now?_
  5. _Why did they bring up the Refoveo Potion? Was it actually used on them or were they bluffing?_
  6. _What is up with them and Malfoy? How do they know each other? Why are they so close?_
  7. _Why did Avery rub her neck so often? Why did she have a bloody bandage around her stomach? Why did Alex rub her thigh and arm constantly?_
  8. _Why do they both act nervous around Professor Moody? Are they just frightened by his eye or is it something else?_
  9. _Why do their eyes look haunted except when they are around Fred and George?_
  10. _What do they mean by only having harmful contact for the past three years?_



“HELLO!” everyone jumped.

Standing behind Ron stood Fred and George, looking curious

“What are Golden Trio doing here…” 

“When they should be in the tower…”

 “Getting ready for bed?”

Hermione blushed and mumbled something

George cupped his hand to his ear and said in a wheezy voice “I'm sorry young lady, but I'm growing old and I can’t quite hear you.” 

She blushed again and said louder “analyzing Avery and Alex.”

“aaaaah” said Fred, quirking an eyebrow at his other half, his eyes becoming a little more serious “that’s what we came here to do” 

Harry looked at them incredulously “right. You both were coming to the _library_ to investigate those two new students”

“Yep” said both twins, plopping down so Hermione was in between the both of them. Fred picked up the list and read it out loud with grandeur. When he was done, he looked at Hermione with a serious face that looked out of place on his normally joyful visage.

“Aren’t you…” 

“…Observant”

Hermione sighed and said dryly “it’s a curse”

“You should get that checked by Madame Pomfrey then” George told her in a sincere voice

Hermione just rolled her eyes and retold them what she had Harry had told them about the Thelduins and Malfoy so they were all caught up. When she was done she said “so what do you think about them? Do you think they are hiding anything or exaggerating?”

“The idea itself is to crazy to be faked so I think they are telling the truth." said Fred with a grimace

"What is a Refoveo Potion? I don't think we ever learned about it” asked George

Hermione pushed the book towards them opened to the right page and both of the twins read. When they were done, they both also looked slightly sick

Fred looked at the trio and asked quietly “why?” 

“We don't know” Harry replied “but we are going to find out”

“We should split up the questions and each take a few to try to figure out” Hermione said thoughtfully

The four boys nodded and Hermione said in a business like voice “Fred and George, you focus on questions 1, 2, 3, 4, and 8. Me Harry and Ron will focus on 5, 6, 7, 9, and 10”

Everyone looked back at Hermione’s list, copied down their questions on spare bits of parchment, and Fred and George headed off to whatever they were about to go do.

When they were gone, Ron asked, “so what do you think this all means? Do you think they really weren’t really lying about the Refoveo Potion?”

“I don't know, Ron” Harry replied slowly

“I still stand by my Malfoy torture chamber/dungeon theory” he replied defiantly

Both Harry and Hermione rolled their eyes and Harry got up, stretching

“We should probably go back to the common room” Harry said “its past curfew”

Hermione jumped up and said, “I had no idea how fast time was flying! We need to go” she rushed put of the library and Harry pulled out his cloak 

“She does know I have this, right?”

Ron rolled his eyes “you know Hermione. Just wait a sec and she’ll come back”

Just as Ron said, Hermione slunk back to Harry and Ron, both snickering

“Oh hush you two!” Hermione growled angrily while snatching the cloak out of Harry's hands and throwing it over them

The way back to the common room was anticlimactic and all three of the friends made it back to the common room without mishap

“Goodnight, Hermione” the boys chorused

“Goodnight Harry, Ron” Hermione said sleepily back and headed toward one of the chairs in the common room

 

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

 

Somewhere on the other side of the castle, Fred and George had somehow managed to locate Draco. He was on the top of the astronomy tower just looking at the stars, a pained look on his face. The twins were just watching him for a few minutes to see if he would do anything interesting when he suddenly kicked the wall next to him, then sat down, leaning his blonde head against the stones, a breeze ruffling his cloak faintly. He was banging the back of his head lightly against the wall while calling himself all kinds of idiot. 

“Its my fault” he murmured, “I've known long enough that my father can’t be trusted you prat. But did you listen to him? Yes? And what do you get out of that besides being a complete berk? Oh yah! You get the people you care for chained up for three years because you’re such an idiot!”

The Weasley twins looked at each other in surprise at Malfoy’s show of emotion before they turned away and headed back to their dorm, thinking about what they saw and the implications of it. As they headed down the stairs, they heard a loud meow. Both turned around and saw Ms. Norris looking up at them in an accusing way. They gulped and ran down the corridor and into one of the secret passageways. Both could hear the loud breathing of the caretaker, Mr. Filch. His footsteps were getting closer until they stopped right in front of the tapestry Fred and George were hiding behind. The twins looked at each other, then made a mad dash for the exit on the other end.

“I do believe we’ve lost him!” Fred exclaimed while looking back at his brother in delight

“Fred!” George warned but it was too late. He had run strait into a suit of armor. The sound was almost deafening. As the metal pieces rolled away from the fallen red head, peeves could be heard bouncing down the corridor to check out the noise. George smirked slightly at the thought of the poltergeist, but a groan from Fred made him look down. His brother was holding his arm and it was bent in a peculiar position.

“Fred!” his twin groaned, “now we have to go to the hospital wing”

Fred just grinned wryly as the both of them walked down the corridor in the direction of the hospital wing   

 

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

 

“You understand that we know nothing of their lives” a hooded man said into a bowl of water “so how are we supposed to help them if we do not know of their past?”

“It is your price to pay” a deep female voice replied to him from the bowl “but I will allow you to do so if your companion accepts”

The man gave a small smile and turned to his other companion. He told her the deal and she readily agreed as the water formed in the air and they began to watch the events of the Thelduin twins.

 

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

 

“What have we done?” the man asked the women at his side as the water fell back into the bowl, his voice shaking with anger

She shrugged he shoulders helplessly, eyes flashing in furry and sorrow “we didn’t know this would happen” she told him, balling her hands into fists so hard that her knuckles were turning white “My question though, is how they let it happen!” she pointed to the bowl of water “They were supposed to watch over them while we were gone!”

The man tuned around and strode over towards the bowl. When he reached it, he practically yelled a spell and the face appeared again “YOU SAID THAT YOU WOULD WATCH OVER THEM IN OUR ABSENCE! THAT THEY WOULD BE PROTECTED AND SAFE” the man broke down and kneeled on the ground, head bowed “they are my daughters” he whispered “and I have destroyed them”


	7. Discoveries

_A few hours previously_

Aavyn and Alessa strode out of the classroom, faces blank, and made their way to the Headmaster's office, passing Ron and Harry along the way. When they made it to the office, they knocked and Albus told them to come in. 

“Ah, Miss Alessa and Miss Aavyn, how very good it is to see you” the headmaster told them “please take a seat. Lemon drop?” 

The twins looked at each other

“ _Should we? They're laced with calming draught._ ” Alex asked her sister

“ _Why not? We need it?"_  

“ _That is a very valid point_ ”

The twins nodded their heads and accepted a lemon drop. They each popped it into their mouths and waited for Albus to explain why he wanted to talk to them

“You are probably wondering why you were asked here”

They nodded and Dumbledore said, “Come in”

The twins looked surprised as Madame Pomfrey and Severus came into the room and stood behind Albus. The girls jumped up and backed up to the door, their eyes darting around the room. Snape looked at them, a hard look in his eyes and he snapped 

“This isn’t an ambush” 

“Severus!” Pomfrey said aghast but it didn’t seem to bother the girls. It just calmed them down enough so that they tentatively sat back down in the chairs.

“What do you want?” Avery asked tiredly "Both of us have already had an emotional breakdown once today and we really don't need another one."

Madam Pomfrey looked at the both of them with concern, mouth already open to start asking questions, but Albus talked over her.

“I want the two of you to be checked out by Madame Pomfrey. A full physical. After that you will come back here for a few questions.”

“Do we have a choice?” Alex asked in a whisper.

Snape shook his head, face sombre. The twins sighed as they left with the healer, shoulders hunched in a defensive position.

“I worry for them” Albus told the potions master after they left “after such a traumatizing event they should be acting more…” 

“More what headmaster” Snape asked quietly

“More cautious, more paranoid, more anything. Yet they are taking this more calmly than I could expect. I didn’t expect them to be able to talk to people so easily yet I can see them and the Weasley twins during meals.”

“They might be suppressing their emotions. They could be trying to forget about it and it helps them function during the day but…” 

“…Makes them explosive if like this for to long” the headmaster finished, massaging his head with his hands

 

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

 

“Ok. Now I am going to take each of you back one at a time” Madame Pomfrey told the twins while handing them hospital gowns “I will do a standard diagnostic test, a few physical ones, along with a measurement of your height and weight, and a blood test”

Alex nodded her head in resignation but Avery had become stiff as a board, her pupils widening and breathing becoming erratic.

“Aavyn, why don't you go first?”

The girl nodded and went behind the curtain to change. When she came out, the healer took her to another room to be examined. She had Avery lay down on a hospital bed while she performed the diagnostic spell

“Miss Thelduin? You need to take off the glamour’s for this to work correctly”

“Well maybe I don't want it to work” she mumbled in an unintelligible voice while she drew her wand. She said the counter spell and waited for all of the glamour to melt away, not meeting Madame Pomfrey’s eyes

“My dear girl” the nurse gasped, her hand to her mouth, face ashen.

“Can we just get on with this” she told her in a quiet and pained voice. The patron of the Hospital Wing nodded and had Aavyn lay back down on the bed. She finally managed to do the diagnostic spell without any hiccups and when she was done her face was even more troubled and filled with worry than ever. Avery, knowing what she had found out, was biting her lip, hoping she wouldn’t comment. She didn’t for the remainder of the check up as she got her height and weight

“Five feet, nine inches. A little underweight but nothing that the Hogwarts kitchens can’t fix, great muscle development,” the nurse mumbled, trying to take her mind off things. When it came to the physical part, the girl exceeded and Poppy smiled at her and took some of her blood for the last test.

"Hm." she said

"What?"

"Due to your blood results, it does not appear that you are human. At all."

"What am I then?" the redhead asked defensively 

"I do not know" the nurse said, "I have never seen this before. I will have to conduct a few tests before I can be sure. That is all, you can wait outside” she told her

“Don’t tell anyone”

"Don't tell anyone what?"

"You know what" Aavyn growled.

“But the headmaster? Severus? They need to know.”

“No they don't. I don't want to distract them. Both have enough on their hands for the time being”

Pomfrey sighed “all right. I will keep this to myself. For now.”

Aavyn nodded and drew her wand

“Don’t put the glamour back on” the woman warned her in a stern tone “it isn’t healthy to hide behind magic forever”

Avery nodded in a sullen way before heading out of the room

“Your turn” she told her sister

Alex nodded and headed in, Aavyn looking at her watch. It was half past nine  “I was in there for over an hour and a half” she muttered to herself before going behind the curtain to put her school pants and cami before bundling the rest up and sitting back down on one of the numerous beds. She was looking at the wall, bouncing a ball of light off of it, adding a new one every now and then. Soon she had ten different colors of light bouncing off of various walls. The game had changed from wall ball to ‘see how many balls you can avoid before you get hit.’ The light bounced off the floor, beds, ceiling, and various other things, the spots they hit against starting to glow with that light. At some point during her game, Avery’s hair tie had come out and her hair was streaming around her, twirling, flipping, and twisting as the teen jumped ducked and took cover behind objects, face glowing with laughter. She was having so much fun that she failed to notice one of the doors open

 

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

 

“Come on Fred, we’re almost there” George told his brother as he lagged behind, a grimace on his face

“It hurts” the other half whined 

“The faster you move the soon it can be healed” George replied to him in a singsong voice. Fred stuck his tongue out at him. As the two of them rounded the bend, both could see a curious assortment of multicolored lights shinning from underneath the door to the hospital wing. Both just shrugged and George pushed the door open with his shoulder, holding it open for his injured brother. When they had come inside, both twins had stopped in their tracks. In the middle of the room was a girl in a tank top, her hair flying all about as she dodged flying colors of light. She was smiling but that wasn’t the most noticeable thing. The most noticeable thing was the red design on her pale skin. The lines making henna like patterns across her body. It was almost beautiful until both realized that they were angry red cuts. After about a minute of watching her, one of the lights hit George in the shoulder and disappeared, leaving behind a pink glowing patch. The girl turned around and her eyes grew wide. It was Avery.

 

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

 

She could feel one of her light balls hit something living. She was sure it wasn’t her so Aavyn turned around to see who had gotten hit. It was Fred and George. She blinked as her eyes grew wide. She wasn’t wearing her glamour or her robe. They could clearly see all of the cuts and scars. She couldn’t even move, she was in shock. It had only been a day, only a day, yet a student had managed to see her secret. No. Not just students. Two people she could see becoming friends with later on in the year. Avery stiffened even more at the looks on their faces. It was a mix of concern, horror, anger, and questions.

“What…what happened?” George asked after a few minutes of tense silence.

Avery shrunk a little, her arms crossed protectively over herself, shoulders hunched, and head bowed a little, not making eye contact with either of them. She didn’t respond, breath heaving, body shivering, vision dimming. 

“When did this happen?” Fred tried in a quiet voice. The girl lifted her head up a smidge to gauge their feelings about this. All she saw was concern now. Not pity, not revulsion. Just concern. Concern for a fellow classmate, or, dare she say, a friend.

“It’s a long story” she finally replied in her exotic accent “and not one I am willing to repeat right now” then in a smaller voice “please don't tell anyone”

The twins nodded in understanding, then “what about your sister?”

“I don't think I understand your question” she told them, her posture loosening slightly “are you asking whether she is...like this… too? Or that she is aware that this happened to me?” 

“Both”

“Yes to both”

They sucked in their breath and let it out slowly

“A lot to take in?” Avery questioned in an overly innocent voice

Both chuckled slightly, the tension lessening significantly

“The color suits you” Aavyn told George while pointing at the glowing pink patch and it glowed brighter as she got closer to it. Soon she was right next to him and Avery put her and on the patch, drawing the color and light back out into its original ball form. Before she could draw away, George caught her hand and traced his thumb over the offending designs. Aavyn tensed, eyes looking everywhere except at George until his lips pressed against the back of her hand.

"You are beautiful" he told her, thumb still stroking over the lines gently.

She met his eyes, her fear melting away into gratitude and happiness. "Thank you" she whispers back to him. He holds onto her hand for a moment longer then lets go, the mood in the room shifting and the stifling pressure lessening. 

The three of them leaned against the backboard of one of the beds and it was then that they all noticed that many things in the room were glowing various colors. The hospital wing had been officially polka dotted. They looked around the room more, trying not to meet each other’s eyes, faces scrunched up in an effort to not laugh. After about five minutes of this, the twins could hear a faint chuckle coming from Avery, which soon became a full laugh. They stared at her, both thinking that it was a wondrous sound, like flutes and harps trilling with delight at their own music. Soon they boys joined in with her, not able to help the feeling of merriment coursing through them at the ridiculousness of the hospital wing. After a few more minutes of laughing, they quieted down into a relaxed silence, the only sound the occasional hoot of an owl from outside. After another ten minutes like this, the door opened and Alex stepped out, freezing when she saw the Weasley twins 

“Avery?”

“Its fine Alex” her sister replied, “ _they don't know the circumstances behind it and they won’t ask or tell another soul”_

Her sister nodded but still looked warily at Fred and George. That soon stopped when she saw the state of the room

“Seems like you found a way to entertain yourself while it was my turn”

Alessa smirked before changing back into her robes

“We need to go back to Dumbledore” Alex told the two boys, leaving the room

“Say hi to Pomfrey for us!” Avery called back while giving the two of them a mischievous grin before the Thelduins headed out of room. Forge and Gred looked confused until Poppy came out and started yelling at them for destroying her Hospital Wing. It was with a growing horror that they realized that a long lasting prank war with Aavyn and Alessa had now begun.

 

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

 

The girls had put their robes back on and used them to hide the cuts as they made their way back to the headmasters office, both smirking at the idea of their upcoming prank war with the Weasley twins. They were half way to the office when Avery stopped her sister and told her about what happened. From that point on, their smirks had transformed into two small, genuine smiles. Soon they were back in front of the gargoyle, the only sound that could be heard was the grating of stone as it moved aside for the duo. Once they were at the top of the spiral staircase they entered the room.

 

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

 

“Severus, what do you mean the effects linger? How is that even possib… come in” Albus responded to the knock on his door which opened and admitted the two young girls. Both looked up and Dumbledore’s eyes grew somber. The glamor had been taken off and the teens had dark circles under their eyes and appeared as if a heavy weight had been set upon their shoulders. But that wasn’t the most noticeable effect. Their eyes. Their eyes were wrong in a face so young and yet so old. Both of their eyes held a look that only those of older years held. In their eyes was a deep and lingering sorrow and pain, mirroring the horrors they had seen and experienced. This made the headmaster fear for their well being more than he had when he first heard of their circumstances. It was then they he realized that that was not all that their glamor had hidden. Quietly, the twins took off the Hogwarts robes and exposed the newly healed slashes. But maybe slash wasn’t the right word. Carvings seemed to fit better instead, for Snape and Albus looked at them, both professors could plainly see the swirling patterns that were _carved_ into their flesh

“My dear girls” the shocked and very angry headmaster whispered in quiet fury, eyes flashing with barely contained rage.

On their skin were images and patterns. Aavyn had vines, leaves, and plants carved into her skin with the occasional celtic symbol. Alessa had filigree, damask, and calligraphy pattens with a few flowers here and there. The effects of the patterns were both alluring and nauseating.

“Just… just don't professor” Avery told him “its been a long day.”

Albus nodded slightly and shoved his feelings aside to ponder at a later date. He and Severus got down to business

“Both Professor Snape and I have come up with a proposal for the two of you” 

The girls looked at him warily  

“This request is going to be a little difficult on your part”

The twins, who had sat down, straightened and tensed

“There is a group of kids in your year that would understand what you are going through more than any other child your age. I want you to tell them the truth”

Aavyn and Alessa stared at him, then, “You can’t possibly expect us to tell a bunch of fourteen year olds what we have been through!” Alex yelled at him.

Dumbledore looked regretful “Madame Pomfrey thought it wouldn’t be good for your health if you kept all of it bottled up. She thought it would make you both a ticking time bomb and frankly, I agree with her. I want you to tell these students about you being branded as Death Eaters and how long you were imprisoned. You do not have to tell all of the details” 

“And who are these _mature_ students that you want us to tell!” Alessa yelled “adults can barely stand the sight of what we have become, how will a few fourteen year olds even begin to comprehend this? We aren’t going to just tell some random people we don't even know something we were planning on carrying to the grave with us!”

“I want you to tell Mr. Harry Potter, Mr. Ronald Weasley, and Miss. Hermione Granger” 

“Well at least we know them” Alex grumbled “but what the hell makes you think that they can maturely handle all of the information!”

“Have you never heard of Mr. Potter?” Albus asked quizzically.

“We only heard what happened to him from the point of view from some of the sickest men ever to walk this earth” Aavyn told him with a dead voice “do you think that they sat us down for a nice cup of tea and told us how their precious He-Who’s-Name-Must-Be-Hyphenated” Dumbledore and Snape blinked at the name “was defeated by a one year old? No. They gave us a stupid reason that he was gone, then most of them went into hiding.” Towards the end, venom had seeped into her words, poisoning them as she spat them out.

Dumbledore looked sad and asked them “would you like to hear the story?” 

The girls nodded and took another lemon drop

“Oh, and by the way” Alex told him 

“We know you lace the lemon drops with Calming Draught” Avery finished 

Alex, just to make sure the point was across told Dumbledore “We would also like you to know that we are immune to it. Lucius used it one too many times on us to try to make us complacent. Never realized that we became resistant”    

Albus nodded and began the story, trying not to focus on that piece of information. He started with how James and Lily died and ended with the rescue of Sirius Black. There was silence, then 

“Well I guess that the three of them aren’t as incompetent as we feared” Aavyn told him

“But how well will they handle the information?” Alessa asked

The headmaster smiled “Miss. Granger will ask a lot of questions, then think about the information, and make her decision known. Mr. Potter will be silent for most of it, think about it, tell the group, and they will more or less listen to his decision. Mr. Weasley is the one you will get the most trouble from. When you tell him that you are branded as Death Eaters he will get mad and accuse you. Calm him down and explain it and Miss. Granger will talk sense into him. If I am at all wrong about their reactions and they threaten you, you have my permission to obliviate them” 

“And when do you when do you want this done by!” Alex told him exasperated

“You have the rest of the year”

The girls were silent

“Please, I beg that you two try to find enjoyment while you are here. Make some friends, prank the Weasley twins” 

They smiled slightly and the cloud of depression lifted somewhat

“Have as much fun as you can. Merlin knows you both deserve it”

“We have until the end of the year or the end of the summer?” Alex questioned

“Summer” Albus reassured them 

“How will they understand what we went through though” Avery wondered out loud “I know they have faced many things people their age shouldn’t, but they haven’t even reached anywhere close to this level yet. They are still fourteen year olds on the inside”

“When you’re biased, like you said Ron is, you don't listen to reason” Alex reminded him in a sober voice

“Like right now” Dumbledore asked them with a raised eyebrow

“I suppose so” Aavyn agreed with a wry smile

“This is a difficult thing you ask of us though” Alex reminded the headmaster 

“With the luck you two seem to have, Miss Granger will have figured it all out before you get to tell them” Snape told them, smirking “they have a knack to figure out things that were never meant to be found out. The reason we want you to tell them is also because Miss Granger is already... sniffing around I guess you could say. The headmaster has tried to tell her to let it go, but I do not believe she will. It will go smoother if you tell them as opposed to them figuring it out on their own.”

“Thanks Severus. That is so reassuring” both twins muttered sarcastically

“I hope you both know that it does not have to be the trio if you find that you are comfortable with others, but they are a start. I do not want to let this burden crush you” Albus reminded them, thinking of Fred and George “I have also bypassed the needed parent signature for Hogsmeade visits so you may go with the rest of the students, you have leave from the common room at any time at night whether for medical attention or alone time, I have also scheduled a trip to Diagon Alley soon. Have I missed anything?”

“Lucius Malfoy’s head on a platter perhaps” Alex muttered “alright. We agree. Will telling them really help some of the stress?”

Albus nodded “it will. Secrets are like lead and they weigh you down. If you tell trusted people about them, you distribute the lead and the weight of the load lessens”

 Avery and Alex made to get up, but Snape stopped them

“You will need to take this every week” the Potions Master handed them two vials full of a fiery colored liquid “the Refoveo potion always pops back up. It takes about a year to die down and get fully out of your system. This needs to be taken the moment your wounds start to open up again.” this was all said in a quiet voice, without any hint of a sneer, grimace, or mockery in his face and voice “come to me every Sunday night and take it on Monday”   

The twins nodded softly while they got up and headed towards the door, but not before each taking a big handful of lemon drops and smiling at the two professors.


	8. Not Nearly Enough Answers

All was quiet in the common room except for the sound of the merrily crackling fire that the house elves kept in check throughout the night. It was late and all the students were sleeping peacefully in their beds. Well. Almost all of them that is. Inside of the common room, a bushy haired girl was sitting in an armchair hidden in shadows, waiting. Outside of the common room was a different story though.

“What were you two doing out of bed? It is only the first day!” this was all said by the Fat Lady who decided it would be a good time to chastise the two girls.

“We were in a meeting with Dumbledore.” Alessa told her pleadingly “We just got out.”

“In a meeting with Dumbledore? I had two students tell me that two girls of you description were out setting up pranks for the Slytherins tomorrow.”

The twins smirked while groaning the names Fred and George at the same time.

“This is war” Avery chuckled then spoke up to the painting “well we could always persuade Peeves to come up here. You know how much he likes fellow pranksters. It would be fun to watch him wake up all of Gryffindor house just because you wouldn’t let us in the common room.”

The Fat Lady scoffed, but had a worried glint in her eyes while asking, “what did you say the password was?”  

“Balderdash!” the twins practically yelled in exasperation.

The portrait harrumphed but finally swung open for them.

“Thank you! I take it Dumbledore still needs to talk to her about our midnight trips” the last part was grumbled by Alex as the two of them sneaked into the room and sat in the squishy armchairs in front of the fireplace

Both girls sighed and Alessa pulled out the potion and looked at it while Avery had removed her robe and was just staring at her arm. It was bathed in the blaze of the fireplace and the lines were almost nonexistent in the light that the flames gave off. The girl ran her finger over the carvings and traced them, a thoughtful look on her face

“We haven’t seen ourselves in a mirror in three years” she mumbled, “what do the others see that we can’t? We can only see our arms. We don't even look at each other.”

“Do you really want to look?” Alex replied to her, also thoughtful

“It’s part of us now.” Aavyn stated, “It won’t ever go away. Dark magic never does. We need to accept this.”  

“There’s a difference between accepting what you see and just seeing it and hating it” Alessa mumbled.

“I know” Avery whispered back “but acceptance of what has happened is the first step to overcoming the consequences of any misfortune.” 

“Some hell of a misfortune,” Alex snorted scathingly “but I guess do agree with you.” 

Avery nodded, rubbing her thumb along the cuts swirling on her fingers, then gasping when she felt the wound on her face open up.

“Why did Severus say we had to wait until it started again?”

The other just shrugged and both uncorked their potion, and saluted each other before they downed it all in one gulp. A white mist, one tinged with red and the other with turquoise, surrounded the two girls, the quiet phoenix song soothing them both. The girls just sat by the fire, watching it die. When it finally did, they went upstairs and into the dorm, but downstairs in the room they had just vacated, there was a different girl who wasn’t planning on going anywhere near her dorm. 

Hermione Granger was considered the smartest witch of her age and rightly so, but for the love of all things, she couldn’t figure out the mystery that was the Thelduin twins. She kept looking at the situation from different angles, from her perspective and from others. She thought that she had analyzed this from every viewpoint, yet still there was no answer. It was then, at that moment that Miss Granger realized that Aavyn and Alessa were two questions that had never been asked or even thought of before. She couldn’t just read a book to explain the two of them and to uncover all of their secrets and that scared her more than anything else. All of her life she could find whatever information she needed in the trusty Hogwarts Library but today was the day that books had finally failed her. This was a new experience for Hermione, so as the young girl sat there in the shadows after Avery and Alex had gone to the dorm she realized all of this and more. She realized that she would have to wait for the whole story because if she didn’t, she would only have a half finished puzzle, and it was a large puzzle at that. It was then that Hermione decided to stop snooping and to start asking. 

“Tomorrow” the girl told herself “tomorrow I am going to ask them, ask the teachers, even ask Malfoy if I have to. I just want some answers!” and with that, Miss Granger finally went to bed

 

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

 

“Good morning” Avery told the Weasley twins as she and her sister sat down in front of them, reaching their hands across their friends’ dishes to reach the some of the food to pile their plates high with for breakfast.

“Good morning” Fred and George chorused back

“You know” Avery said off handedly while brandishing a sausage on her fork “we had some difficulty getting into the common room last night. Something about pranking the Slytherins or some other nonsense. Now, you two wouldn’t happen to know why that is, would you?” the girl raised her eyebrow and gave that look that only a woman could give.

Forge and Gred refused to make eye contact.

“Because last time I checked” Alessa informed them “it is the two of you who are fond of pranking the Slytherins."

The girls waved their wands and a bang went off at the Slytherin table. A large red, blue, yellow, and green cloud of smoke covered the entire table. When it cleared, the hall rang with laughter at the sight of the Slytherins. They appeared to be wearing formal party attire but backwards. The boys had on flashy evening gowns, each representing a different house with a necklace of the houses animal and four inch high heels, the girls were in tuxedos with the same color scheme and cuff links sporting the house animal. No one in the Slytherin house was in green though. The laughter escalated until the twins waved their wands again and the whole hall was filled with the smoke this time. Everyone was now fit for a dance. Aavyn was wearing a Ravenclaw blue tux and Alessa was decked out in Slytherin green. The hall was dead quiet after that except for the Weasley twins, who were in Gryffindor red (the only Gryffindors in that color) and who were laughing hysterically.

“Messrs Fred and George!” Professor McGonagall yelled in outrage “what is the meaning of this?”

“Maybe you weren’t lying when you two told the Fat Lady that we were pranking the Slytherins” Avery told them while smirking as she and her sister left the Great Hall for history of magic.

Minerva swooped down and shuffled the very sullen Weasley twins (who were plotting revenge) to her office to discuss their punishment. A few minutes later, much to the dismay of the male students, Dumbledore confirmed that the clothing had a permanent sticking charm that would only run out after a full eighteen hours of the magic being active and with that, the rest of the student body headed to class, the boys wincing and tripping while trying to get used to walking up and down the stairs without plummeting to their deaths.

  
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

 

“Wake up!” Hermione (in yellow) was poking a sleeping Harry (green) and a drooling Ron (blue) awake.

“Class just ended. Honestly you two. You could at least try to pay attention to what Professor Binns is saying.”

“It not like anyone else is paying attention!” Ron exclaimed.

“Avery and Alex were” Hermione said huffily.

And so they had. Both were pulling all of their parchment together (they had taken a lot of notes apparently). The trio came up behind them, making a lot of noise in the process.

“Did you really stay awake through he whole thing?” Harry asked in surprise.

Both nodded in affirmative.

“It looks like you took more notes than Hermione!” Ron exclaimed.

The twins chuckled and Hermione glared at the red headed boy.

“We didn’t do much writing actually. It was really quite boring to be honest” Alex told him as she handed her stack of paper to the two boys. All over the parchment were drawings. They depicted and covered most of the material that Binns had talked about (the goblin rebellions mainly), the dates that the things occurred were at the top of the page with a title, and any of the important people and goblins had a caption with their names. All in all it looked more interesting than actual notes.

“Could we borrow these?” Ron asked excitedly.

The twins chuckled again and nodded, Avery pulling out her wand then duplicating the notes. The boys smiled at her and said thanks and walked off to enjoy their break.

“There” Alex said, “Now they don't have to borrow your notes Hermione.”

Hermione smiled wryly and waved goodbye as she left the room. As soon as she was out of sight, the girl hurried to the Gryffindor common room and grabbed the Marauders Map.

“I solemnly swear I am up to no good” she said, her wand pointed at the parchment.

She opened it up and scanned it frantically, then finding her quarry, set off for her destination. It was a long way to the astronomy tower, but after five minutes of walking briskly, running, and shortcuts, the bushy haired girl finally made it. She peaked behind a tapestry and looked at the person she was looking for. Draco Malfoy (blue, but who had put a normal wizard robe on top of it) was leaning his back against the railings around the edge of the tower and was reading a book large book titled _The Dragon Reborn._ Hermione blinked in surprise at the American muggle book. The boy looked particularly engrossed in what he was reading and his eyes were flitting back and forth really fast. After another minute of watching him, the hiding girl scrutinized Malfoy’s face as it settled into a relaxed state. It was an interesting look on him. There was no sneer, no demeaning glint in his eye. It was then that Hermione noticed that Draco was extremely stressed. All the time apparently. As he relaxed, she could practically see the tension ooze out of him. The tension she never even knew was there until that moment. He looked almost nice at that moment and a little vulnerable.

She watched for a few more minutes until the boy put the bookmark back in the book and closed it. He turned around and looked over the school grounds, giving a big sigh of contentment, letting the sounds of nature wash over him.

“Stupid” he muttered, making Hermione jump slightly “I was so stupid to believe that they were liars. That they used us. But he used me. He always uses me. Why do I always think it will turn out differently? Isn’t the definition of insanity doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting a different result every time? Well I'm just insane then. I keep running towards him, expecting him to be impressed when in reality all I get is disappointment and scorn” Draco scoffed quietly “I'm a complete berk” he face-palmed and left his head sitting there, eyes closed and mind empty of thoughts

 

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

 

Later that night, the Thelduin twins were wandering the halls. Each had branched off to ‘explore’ when in reality they just needed to think and clear their heads. On Avery’s way out of the Great Hall, she could feel the headmaster’s eyes watching her leave as a reminder of their promise.

At his penetrating gaze, the girl thought “ _The most dangerous thoughts aren't the ones that you threaten the world with...they're the quiet thoughts that you keep hidden from everyone - hoping that they will cease to exist because whenever you are alone, these thoughts tear you apart from within._ ”

“These are dangerous games we play” Alex whispered to herself as she headed in the direction of the second floor. The dungeons brought up unwanted remembrances. After a few hours of wandering the halls, Alessa gripped her head in pain. Flashes of images, smells, and feelings ran through her mind at the speed of lightning. It was a message from her sister and it left a distinct impression of horror and fear. Not a moment later, the girl ran off in the direction she knew her sister to be and skidded to a halt in front of a bare stretch of wall on the seventh floor.

“ _Aavyn_?” Alex called in panic with her mind and out loud but she couldn’t feel her sister anymore. The brunette searched the corridor frantically, then finally kicked the wall in desperation and anger. There were only three things that kept her sister from communicating with her: strong emotions, intense physical or mental pain, and death. She tried not to think of the last two as she ran in the direction she knew Draco to be in.

  
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

 

As the two girls headed out of the great hall, Dumbledore’s eyes on their backs, dangerous thoughts racing through her head, Aavyn headed towards some of the upper floors. She enjoyed being up high for some reason. It was a few hours later when the red head found herself on the seventh floor, pacing.

“ _What am I so afraid of?”_ she asked herself as she passed the wall once “ _I realize that I eventually need to face the music”_ twice “ _but I don't know how!”_ three times she paced and a door similar to the one at Malfoy manor appeared in the wall. The Thelduin girl stopped and reached a shaking hand towards it in dread. At her touch I swung open silently on a pitch-black room. Avery drew her wand and pointed it in front of her as she silently crept into the darkness. As soon as she cleared the doorway, Avery felt the ripple of magic and her hair stood on end. The door slammed shut with an audible bang. Aavyn froze as candlelight started to appear inside the room and was surprised to see that the whole chamber was made of one giant mirror. As she steeped into the middle of the room, the swell of magic could be felt again and all of a sudden she was only wearing a bra and underwear, the choker necklace glinting evilly in the light of the candles, her skin itching as she felt all of the glamours run off and pool at her bare feet. She knew what the room was doing and the frightened girl closed her eyes tightly. Once the magic had completely run off of her body, she mentally readied herself and forced her eyes open. There was no way that she would be able to avoid her reflection without shutting her eyes again.

What she saw sickened her as she twisted and turned, looking at the damage. The angry red lines descended past her bra and shorts line and she looked away from those with appall, the memories of how she got each cut resurfacing. It was when she shifted her hip length hair to get a better look at her back that she saw it. The mark she had never realized that had been placed and her mind froze in horror as the buried memory burst its way to the forefront of her mind

 

_ Flashback _

**_A/N Warning! Violence! If you don't want to read skip down_ **

A loud dull thud sounded in the air.

“YOU SAID YOU WOULD LET ME GO!” the panicked voice sobbed and screamed at the same time.

“I took it from you, you didn’t give it, so there was never a deal” an oily voice said right next to the first voice.

All the torches then burst into light and Aavyn was on the ground. Her unclothed body was in a heap, disheveled, bleeding, and seemingly broken, tears streaming down her dirty and bloodied face.

“You're pathetic” Malfoy spat “but you have your uses” the man licked his lips and looked at her shivering and prone form in triumph, an animalistic look in his eye. 

Avery looked up at him, panic and sorrow replaced by fury. Slowly she stood up, stared at him, then proceeded to kick him in the groin. Lucius doubled over in pain and the young teen took that opportunity to smash her knee into his face. Malfoy howled in pain and reached his arms towards the girl and advanced on her. Soon she was backed into a corner, hands chained together above her head. The man snarled and touched the necklace at her throat. The girl went limp and he smiled in triumph. 

“I’ll be back later, when I'm done with your sister. But first” there was a flash of silver and the monster turned the helpless girl around so she was facing the wall and brought the blade down upon her shoulder, carving something upon it. When he was done, Malfoy waved his wand and the chains lengthened, letting Aavyn curl herself into a ball on the cold dungeon floor, her shoulder bleeding freely.

_ End Flashback  _

**_A/N Its safe again :)_**        

 

 “ _no. NO! NOOOOO!”_ Avery screamed in anguish throughout her mind, tearing her consciousness from the memory and reburying it. The redhead was breathing hard and fast as she touched the spot on her shoulder, which was clearer than all of the others. She could see what it was now. It was a carving of the Malfoy crest. Like dog tags. That man had marked her like he owned her. It was too much for the girl so she just sat down and cried, something she hadn’t allowed herself to do since she had escaped that mans clutches.

“ _The darkness of the damp dungeons. The feeling of the blood dripping down her body, the tickle of Lucius’ platinum hair brushing against her back, whispering lies to her and…”_ Avery opened her eyes again, refusing to close them again lest she be swept away by dangerous thoughts again. The bags under her eyes were more pronounced than ever before and the tears still flowing freely as sobs wracked her body.    

  
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

 

“We need to go” the man told the woman sitting across from him.

“What do you mean ‘go’?” she asked him while giving him a baffled look. 

“Just listen” he answered back.

The woman complied and closed her eyes and her breathing slowed. After a few minutes like this, her breath hitched and her eyes flew open. 

“We need to go now” she agreed as she stood up and walked to their home to gather their things

 

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

 

After another half hour of crying had passed, Aavyn scrubbed away her tears angrily, mad at herself for showing such a blatant use of emotion yet feeling as if a large weight had been lifted off of her. The girl sat up and remained cross-legged on the floor, just thinking now that her thoughts had calmed down considerable. She lifted her left forearm so the inside faced the ceiling. So she could see the Darkmark that was burned there. It was darker. It wasn’t that much of a difference but the redhead could tell. She could also tell that this wasn’t good. She stared at it a moment longer then jumped to her feet when the door flew open and two people ran through, normal robes back in place.

“Aavyn!” Alex almost yelled, “What happened?” she skidded to a stop when she actually saw her sister, her hands flying to her mouth in shock. "Oh Merlin" she said in a whisper.

"It was the room" Avery said in a dead voice "it locked me in, vanished my clothes, and removed all of the glamor"

The second person came further into the room and revealed himself to be Draco. He took off his outer cloak and wrapped it around Aavyn, the girl smiling slightly in thanks.

"Why did you cut me off?" Alex asked her in a whisper

"It brought back some... painful memories for me" Aavyn said, not looking in her sister's eyes "I had another break down" she started shivering again and Draco wrapped her in another hug, which she melted into after a second of tensing. He ran his fingers through her hair, fingers catching on something on her neck. Aavyn went limp and cried out as she crumpled on the ground.

Draco looked around frantically then at Avery. He knelt down next to her. Her eyes had closed, and she was breathing quickly, her face turned away from Draco as if in anticipation for pain. Alex bent down on the other side next to her sister. 

"He touched it didn't he?"

"What did I do?" the blonde asked, incredulous.

"The cursed necklace. If anyone with Malfoy blood touches this necklace, we loose the ability to move our limbs. We can talk and still feel things but we can't move anything more than our head."

Draco closed his eyes in sorrow "Is there a way to take it off?"

"Only the person who put it on can take it off" Avery said at last "so that would be a no"

"How long does it take to wear off?" 

"About and hour" Avery replied in resignation "as long as you don't touch it again."

Alex pulled the cloak tighter around her sister and asked "do you think Dumbledore will be able to do something about them?"

Avery looked thoughtful "I don't know. We should go ask him."

"That will have to wait for a few hours" Alex admonished "you'll still be really weakened afterwards."

"You say that like I don't know that." Avery said with an eye roll "We can go in an hour, I'll just need to lean on someone."

 

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

 

An hour and a couple rounds of Twenty Questions later, the three of them made their way to the Headmasters Office, Draco practically carrying Aavyn. Once they got to the stairs, Draco picked her up while she whacked him in the chest in weak protestation. Alex knocked a few times and Albus bade them to enter.

"Headmaster," Alessa said "we need your help with something."

"Dumbledore looked up sharply "what happened?"

"I'm fine Professor." Aavyn protested in a weak voice while Draco set her in a chair "Just a cursed necklace."

Dumbledore stood up quickly and moved towards the girl, wand drawn. Her eyes flashed for a second before turning resigned as the headmaster pushed her hair aside gently and prodded the necklace with his wand. Aavyn arched in pain as the collar glowed brightly. Albus backed up, his eyes sad. 

"This necklace is designed to dampen and drain magic, control the person it is on, cause harm to that person if someone else's magic interacts with it, and paralyze. It is also a tracking device. And..." he peered closely at the glinting object "a sedative. It suppresses your emotions."

"Is there any way you can get rid of it?" Avery asked with a raspy voice 

"If I can overload the device with magic, it should burn away into nothing."

"Burn?" Avery questioned with trepidation 

"The magic interacting with the necklace will cause it to heat up and will most likely give you third degree burns, but it should get rid of it."

"Do it."

"Aavyn" Alex began "this isn't a good idea"

"But it's our only option" 

"You will need to be taken to the hospital wing so you can be restrained. This will be extremely painful because I need you conscious to help with the removal. I can already feel your magic pushing against the device and I will need its help. This is a very powerful device..." Dumbledore looked thoughtful and pained at the same time "I believe I will need to do the both of you at the same time. I think the necklaces are linked."

"Let's get this over with then." Alessa sighed "I'll can honestly say that I want to get this bloody thing off of me."

"Mr. Malfoy, if you would"

Draco nodded and picked up Aavyn and followed the headmaster out of the office and to the Hospital Wing. Once they were inside, Dumbledore indicated for Draco to put Avery on one of the beds.

"Mr. Malfoy, if you could go get Professor Snape for me?"

Draco nodded and dashed out of the room.

"Let's begin"

"I take it you didn't want Draco to be here for this"

"That would be correct Miss Thelduin" Albus said as her walked around the two beds, laying down wards to block sound and keep magic in. Once he was done, he strapped in the twins and placed his wand first at Avery's necklace then at Alex's, drawing a fiery chain between the two. He conjured two strips of leather and placed each one in the girls mouth.

"Bite down on these. I don't want you to bite your tongue."

The twins did as he asked and the Headmaster began. As he slowly channeled power into both of the necklaces, they started to grow hotter and hotter, visible cracks forming on the necklaces. After a few minutes, both girls began to arch off of the bed, thrashing so hard that their bindings were threatening to break. After a few more minutes of struggle, both collapsed on the bed, exhausted. The necklaces started to change color at that point, turquoise shining out of the cracks of Alessa's and a shifting fire color coming out of Aavyn's. After a little bit, the different essences of the twins started to over power the necklaces, the color eventually consuming the sickly color of the collars. Dumbledore quickly stepped out of the wards not a second too soon before _BOOM_! The twins magic exploded violently outward, fire and water straining at the wards, chilling screams rendering the headmaster immobile, the bubble almost breaking until the magic settled back down into their owners. When the magic had cleared, both girls were standing in a pile of ash, both physically fine, and smiling wolfish smiles that put the headmaster on edge. On Aavyn's neck was bright copper, melded into her skin in the shape of the necklace, on Alessa's was bright aluminum. Albus cancelled the wards just as Draco and Severus barged into the room.

"What is the meaning of this?" Snape asked, hurrying towards the girls who were now perched on one of the various hospital beds.

"Draco, come test this out for us?" Alex asked with humor in her voice.

Draco walked over tentatively and placed a pale finger against the aluminum. He yelped and jumped back as the metal shocked him, sucking on the slightly burnt finger. The professors came over to investigate the noise and Dumbledore did diagnostics on the girls. 

"These now enhance your magic, prevent mind control, cause harm to the Malfoy line if they or anyone with ill intent touch it. The tracking device is also gone and the metal prevents any kind of tracking spell. It also no longer suppresses your emotions. The magic I put into was supposed to negate all of the effects, not reverse them."

"That is our fault professor." Aavyn confessed "We both had the intent of reversing the effects so that we could never be controlled again. It is nice to have free will now. Oh, and one other thing, it’s getting darker headmaster” she told him while pulling up the sleeves of her robe to show him the dark mark "I hope you know what that means" she finished with an ominous voice tinged with anger

Albus looked saddened by the revelation. He looked at the twins and the saddened look in his eyes got a pained look in them too. Aavyn drew her arm back and rolled the sleeve down, suddenly uncomfortable.

“What?” she asked, a little harsher than she meant. The headmaster blinked and the emotion was gone.

“Thank you for informing me, Miss Thelduin” he told her, "do you both feel well enough to go back to your dorms?"

Both nodded, big smiles on their face as they walk out of the ward arm in arm with Malfoy

Dumbledore called out after them “Don't let anger and pain rule your life. It only leads to destruction.”

She turned around with an odd look and her face “I know professor. I wont go to the other side. They have hurt me and my sister too much for that” and with that she left.

 

_Even later that night_  

 

“Severus. I am worried” the headmaster told the potions professor

“So am I headmaster. This is quite worrying. They have regained all of their magic and it is even stronger than I could have imagined. On top of that, they have already expirianced the alluring power of Dark Magic.” the black haired man replied, a pensive look on his face

“Both end with ‘ _her true colors will light up the sky at the rebirth’_. That can only mean one thing. Voldemort is coming back and Aavyn and Alessa will join him on that night.”


End file.
